giue mee leaue to imploy one probable presumption that in my poore opinion doth much fortifie the same It is collected out of those letters which in ancient time were called literae formatae and granted either vnto Bishops at their first creation or vnto priests that were dismissed by licence from their ordinary This kind of letters was in great vse in the primitiue church for no stranger was admitted into communion among the Catholiks without them The invention of these leters is referred to the first generall councell holden at Nice and the forme of them is recorded authentically in the end of the Chalcedon councell immediatlie before the letters of the Illustrious persons that wrote in or about that councell vnder this title Atticus Episcopus qualiter formata Epistola fiat In this epistle fower letters principally were set for an assured token that hee in whose favour they were granted was a sound Catholike The three former letters were the first letters of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost to testifie that hee believed aright in the blessed Trinitie and therfore was no Arrian Sabellian Macedonian or such like heretike the fourth letter in that formall Epistle was a the first letter of S. Peters name therby to signifie that the bearer was receiued into the vnitie of that church of which S. Peter as chief governor kept the keies the other letters of his name that graÌ„ted that Epistle Distinct 73. ca. 1. to whom it was granted I omitt as not necessary to this purpose hee that will may see a copiâ— of such an Epistle sett downe at large in Gratian where the misterie also of these letters is deciphered to bee such as I haue declared namely that the fourth letter was put for S. Peters name to make knowen that the bearer therof was a true member of that church in qua Petro datum est ius ligandi atque absoluendi in which to S. Peter was giuen the right of binding and loosing Out of which notable monument of antiquitie I draw this argument so well assured it was and a thing so notoriously knowne and approved in those purer daies of the primitiue church that S. Peter and the popes of Rome his successors were the chief governors of Christs church and the insoluble band of the vnitie therof that the first letter of S. Peters name was chosen for an vndoubted badge and token of being a sound member receiued into the vnity of the said Catholike church for why should the first letter of S. Peters name rather then any other of the Apostles bee taken for such an infallible marke of society with the catholike church had it not been a cleere overuled case that hee who like an even squared stone lay vpon that rocke and did adhere vnto the head of the church was vndoubtedly a true member therof This argument as it shall serue for a coÌ„clusion of that which goeth before so it will make a conuenient passage to that which followeth in M. Abbots text 15 There was saith hee a church when there was no Roman church at all how then could that church bee builded vpon the Roman church This is a verie poore obiection for speaking as wee now do of the church which was since our Saviours time if hee take that season next to Christs ascension S. Peter was head of that church during his owne life and after him the Bishops of Rome his lawfull successors No man ever said that the church or Bishop of Rome was head of the church before S. Peter had placed his seate there If M. Abbot will accord vs that ever since that time the church of Rome hath been head of the rest as in truth it hath been wee will easily grant him that before it had no such priviledg Another like slugg M. Abbot thrusteth forth thus If the church of Rome bee that rock and other churches bee builded thervpon then it would follow that the gates of hell should never haue prevailed against any other of those churches but it hath prevayled against them Ergo. True good Sir if those other churches had stuck close to the said rocke the gates of hell had never prevailed against them but they foolishly flitting from that firme rocke were sowsed in the surging seas and swallowed vp by the gulfe of hell M. Abbot saw this to bee so full an answere that hee could not tell what to saie to it but that wee haue no assurance that the church of Rome shall continue alwaies builded vpon Christ Iesus this is M. Abbots last refuge and to it as to a safe anchor he doth twenty times fly in this book wherfore it shall haue a full answer in its due place but let vs first see whether the Bishops of Rome be S. Peters lawfull successors because that comes next M. Abbot doth either graunt it to bee true or at least hee supposeth it for true for hee disproues it not wherfore I need not staÌ„d loÌ„g about it so much the rather because it is recorded by S. Iraeneus Iren. l. 3. v. 3. Tertull. de prescr 36. Euseb l. 2. hist c. 2. Epiphar heres 27. Optat. mi leuit l. 2. perm Hieron de viris ill 1. August Epistola 1â—5 Tertullian Eusebius Optatus mileuitanus S. Hierom S. Austin and briefly by the full consent of all that haue made anie Catalogue of S. Peters successors It is evident and confessed by both sides that our Saviour established such a forme of government in his church that hee would haue to continew as long as the same church continued that is alwaies to the worlds end which was according to our doctrine that one should bee head and supreme gouernor over all the rest to preserue vnity in faith and conformity in rites of religion And by name that one was S. Peter for his life time All which I haue before proved out of holy scriptures and the ancient fathers S. Peter finally making choise of Rome for the seat of his Bishoprick liued there many yeres and in the end died Bishop of Rome wherfore they that were choseÌ„ Bishops of Rome were to succede him as in that seate so in that supreme governmeÌ„t of Christs church which daily experience teacheth vs. for wee see that whosoever is chosen bishop of any place for example of Canterburie hee presentlie vpon his installing entreth vpon all the priuiledges of honour and government which the former Bishops his predecessors died possessed of so that no sooner any man is created Archbishop of Canterbury but that imÌ„ediatly hee is therby Metropolitane of England and hath comanding authority ouer all the Bishops of that prouince with law full Iurisdiction to heare and determyne all such causes that by appeale do come to his courts In like maÌ„ner Linus being chosen Bishop of Rome after the death of S. Peter entred into possession of full power authoritie not onlie ouer the Diocese of Rome but also over all the Bishops of Christs church
directed a most graue and learned letter vnto the Bishops of Africa wherin he decreed some Bishops there to be deposed Leo episcopus vniuersis Episcopis per Caesariensem Mauritaniam in Africa constitutis Epistola 87. Cum de ordinationibus sacerdotum quaedam apud vos illicite vsurpata crebrior ad nos sermo perferret ratio pietatis exegit vt pro solicitudine quam vniuersae ecclesiae exdiuina institutione dependimus rerum fidem studeremus agnoscere c. Ibidem c 2. Causam quoque Lupicini episcopi illic iubemus audiri cui multum ac saepe postulenti coÌ„munioneÌ„ hac raiâ—one reddâ—mus quoniam ad nostrum iudicium prouocassâ— immerito cum pendente negotio a comunionâ— videbamus fuisse suspensum others to be continued in their office and restored one Lupicinus by name to his Bishoprick who being deposed by the Bishops of that prouince of Africa had appealed from their sentence vnto the same Leo Bishop of Rome which is a manifest evidence that the Bishops of Africk did aclwaies aknowledg the Bishop of Rome his superiority and coÌ„manding power over the Bishops of their countrie victor vticensis liued also verie shortlie after S. Austin and before Eulalius he writing in that interim in which M. Abbot doth beare vs in haÌ„d that the church of Africa was fallen out with the Church of Rome he I saie a verie godlie Bishop a grave and learned Historiographer rehearseth How Eugenius Archbishop of Carthage for conferring with the vandale Honoricus then by inuasion king of the greatest part of Africk and an Arrian heretike said vnto his deputie If the kingly power desire to know our faith Victor vticens de persecut vand l 2. Si nostram fidem quae vna vera est potestas Regis cognoscere desiderat mittat ad amicos suos scribam ego fatribus meis vt veniant coepiscopi qui coÌ„muneÌ„ fidem nostram valeant demonstrare praecipue Romana ecclesia quae caput est omnium ecclesiarum c. which is the only true faith you may consult with your councell And I will write vnto my brethren and especially vnto the church of Rome which is the head of all churches and we togeather will declare vnto your Maiestie that faith which is common to vs all Behold how even immediatly after that councell of Africk when M. Abbot dreamed the Bishops of Africa to be fallen awaie from the sea of Rome The primate of Carthage the chief citie in all Africk acknowledged the church of Rome to be the head of all the churches and that for the resolution of matter of faith that sea of Rome was principallie to bee consulted I need not descend anie Lower bicause M. Abbot himself doth relate how Eulalius Archbishop of Carthage who liued the next age after acknowledged the popes supremacie and made that countrie of Africk subiect vnto it Seing then that cleaven hundreth yeres agoe when Eulalius liued by M. Abbots owne confession the popes had soueraign commaund over the churches of Africk and before even vp to Saint Cyprian and Tertullians time which was within 200. yeeres after Christ the same church of Rome was by the principall pillars and lights of Africk esteemed the mother church of the world and roote of Christian vnity vnto which some of their Bishops in all ages did appeale for succour some others did referr the decrees of their councels to be confirmed acknowledging the Bishop of Rome to haue power to assemble councels in Africk and to condemne heretikes all the world over was not M. Abbot fowly over seen and did he not ouer-reach most grieuously when he said that the Bishops of Africke denied the Bishop of Rome to haue anie authority over them and forbad him to intermeddle with matters of their country I haue staid the longer vpon this fact of the African Bishops bicause the Protestants make such reckening of it I will with more speede dispatch that which followeth M. Abbot obiâ—cteth that Anicetus the pope could not perswade Policarpus to keepe the feast of Easter after the manner of Rome therby intimating that Policarpus was not acquainted with that potent principality of the church of Rome I answer that not withstanding the confessed acknowledgment of the popes supremacy no man is bound to follow all his opinions or to imbrace his aduises or perswasions onlie he is of dutie to obey his expresse commaundements wherfore Anicetus not binding Policarpus by anie mandate to alter his opinion thence cannot bee gathered anie disobedience of Policarpus though it be most certain that Anicetus was in the truth and thother in errour for that the feast of Easter should haue been kept of all churches according vnto the manner of Rome And so it was afterward defined in the first generall councell of Nice As do witnes a Athanas epistola de Ariminensi concilio Athanasius Eusebius b Euseb de vita constant l. 3. v. 17. Epiphanius heres 69. Socrates histor lib. 1. cap. 6. Theodoret. histor 1. cap. 10. Nicephorus histor lib. 8. cap. 19. Nevertheles Anicetus out of the spirit of lenity was content to beare with Policarpus being a holy reverend and Apostolicall man Pope victor afterward seing the same errour creeping further abroad and beginning to infect euen the westerne church thought it fitter to vse his authoritie to driue the churches of Asia from the custome of the Iewes vnto conformity with the church of Rome Neither is it apparent nor so certaine as M. Abbot would haue it seeme that Policrates did disobey his sentence of excommunication for those his words cited by M. Abbot are set downe in Eusebius Euseb l. 5. histor c. 22. 23. when the question was yet in examination and before the sentence pronounced So that he might verie well as his duty required after he saw the popes definitiue sentence conforme himself thervnto though before hee was of another mind And he being otherwise a verie godly and a learned prelate is to be presumed and taken to haue done that which he ought to do the contrary not being able to be prooued S. Ciprian whom M. Abbot citeth next as all the learned know erred in that point of rebaptizing them that were before baptized by heretikes and therin out of humane frailtie offended by not conforming his opinion vnto Stephen Bishop of Rome forgetting his owne iudgment giuen and often repeted when he was out of that distempered moode to witt that heresies and schismes do Cypr. Epistola 55. Neque alâ—unde haereses ortae sunt aut nata sunt schismata quam inde quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur c. grow out of no other roote then that the voice of one priest and iudge for the time in Christs steed is not harkened vnto and many such like M. Abbot to testify to the world that he is a blind guid and williÌ„g to lead his feollowers into the ditch is not ashamed to propound vnto them
church vpon him when he said to him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church these wordes would haue marred M. Abbots market therefore he did wisely to ouerskip them now that which followeth may serve rather to confirme our opinion then make anie whit for theirs for thus it may bee vnderstood Saint Peter for that his confession of faith received power and vertue from Christ to confirme others in the faith thereby to establish them to life And so by that confession of faith made by Saint Peter the faithfull are established to life Againe Saint Ambrose who elswhere often and in that verie place teacheth S. Peter to bee that rocke vpon which the church was built might make a secondarie good morall construction of those wordes teaching every man to believe as Saint Peter did and to make the like confession of their faith that they might be setled in the right way to life everlasting which moralization of Christs words doth not crosse but suppose the true litterall sence to bee as before you haue heard out of Saint Ambrose with the vniforme consent of other fathers To that which followeth in the same Author these words of the Apostle in him all the building is coopled together c. are the sense and meaning of that which our lord said vpon this rocke I will build my church I answer there is a cunning tricke vsed in cutting of the Apostles wordes in the middest with an c and making that to be the exposition of the first part of the sentence which Sainct Ambrose makes the interpretation of the last as may appeare vnto him that will see the place for his reason is fideles enim sunt superficies templi dei c. for the faithfull of holy conversation bee the walls or over parts of that temple of God which suteth well with the latter end of Saint Pauls sentence which is in whom you also are built togither into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost in brief S. Ambrose meaning in that place is no other then that the Apostle vsed the same Metaphore of building which our Saviour did when he said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church Of which spirituall building the faithfull are the over partes the Apostles the foundations amoÌ„g whom S. Peter is the rocke and Christ the head corner stone that closeth all togeather and beareth vp both peoples aswell those that went afore as those that came after his incarnation M. Abbots fourth obiection Epla Iuuenalis â—t Epist pal in Apendice Concil Cholced the whole number of the Bishops of Palaestina in the councell of Chalcedon vnderstood Christs words so vpon this confession the church of God is confirmed and strengthened ANSWERE THat whole number I find to bee but two or three and they not in the councell neither nor during the time of that councell but after they came home from the councel and their meaning is plaine for vs. They having been att the councell of Chalcedon and there heard and saw how Discorus patriarch of Alexandria was for his heresie and obstinacie censured and condemned by the sentence of Leo the great Bishop of Rome did certifie all them that were vnder their charge that the church of God was confirmed and strengthned by the confession and declaration of the Bishop of Rome S. Peters successor and how in him was verified that sentence of our Saviour vpon this rocke I will build my church and that other also Thou being conuerted confirme and strengthen thy brethren which is all as direct for vs as can bee besides what other pregnant proofe there is in that generall councell for S. Peters supremacy and that the Bishop of Rome is his successor in the same supreme authoritie shal bee heerafter declared more at large Out of these former arguments M. Abbot maketh this inference that by the exposition of the ancient fathers it maie appeare that Christ eueÌ„ the true faith of Christ for Christ is nothing to vâ— but by faith is the true rocke whervpon the church is builded to which S. Iohn accordeth This is the victorie that over cometh the world even our faith for who is hee that overcometh the world but hee that believeth that Iesus is the sonne of God what is this good Sir to the preseÌ„t purpose of the popes supremacie though faith in some good sense may bee called a rocke bicause it is the foundation and ground worke of all other Christian vertues yet how doth it follow therof that S. Peter is not that rocke vpon which it pleased Christ to build his church what because ther is an order in the frame of a vertuous life must it needes ther vpon ensue that there is no order in the government of Christs Church is not this a very strange inference For the clearer explication of this doubt â—â—t this distinction bee observed the building of Christs church as it is like to a kingdome differeth much from the building of a spirituall temple vnto the holie Ghost in our soules to the first kind of building beloÌ„g subiects and magistrates Bishops Archbishops and so forth the highest wherof vnder Christ was S. Peter To the other inward building concurre all such divine graces and qualities that serue for the reformation of our soule as faith hope Charitie humilitie and such like among which vertues faith in Christ Iesus is at it were the fundamentall stone to the argument then this is the answere that albeit faith in Christ be as it were the rocke and foundation of all Christian vertues yet that is no let but that in the order of Christian magistrates S. Peter may be the rock and haue the chief commaunding power giuen to him and to his successors the Bishops of Rome purity of faith boldnes of confession fervour of Charitie rare gifts of God bestowed on S. Peter were the principall dispositions in him to that other high dignitie and authoritie but the authoritie it self of government was not bestowed on those vertues but vpon the person of Saint Peter though in regard of the same divine qualities After these arguments M. Abbot inferreth that if Christ bee the rocke properly and truly Saint Peter cannot bee the rocke but accidently and vnproperly in respect of his doctrine and example of saith vttered in his confession As Abraham is the rocke from whâ—nce wee are hewed so is Peter the rock wheron wee are built not that either of them conferreth any thing to vs but only for that they staÌ„d before vs for patterns of imitation I answer that he should rather haue made this inference bicause Christ is the rocke of the Church most properly therfore S. Peter is the rocke therof also properly both for that Christ made him the rocke who maketh all things well and properly and also because the properties of a rocke do fitlie agree to S. Peter that is to bee constant and firme in the faith to strengthen and vphold
the redeemer of mankind the keies of the kingdome of heaven and the power of loosing and binding And that also even vnto these daies hee doth in his successors liue and determine causes and shall alwaies liue To him doth Celestinus now Bishop of Rome in right order succede finally by vertue of power receiued from the said Celestinus they proceede to pronounce senteÌ„ce against Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople All which set togither standing of record in the third generall councell doth demonstrate that the Easterne church did acknowledge both the Bishop of Rome to bee S. Peters lawfull successor And that it also did appertaine to him to excommunicate and depose principall Bishops of the Greeke and Easterne church which no man can doubt to bee principall and most proper actes of supreme power in government with this I will linke another like example practised and recorded in the fourth generall councell held at Chalcedon Dioscorus patriarch of Alexandria being for his erronious opinions and enormious actions called in question was convented to answere in that generall councell first all the actions that are entered against Dioscorus are stiled thus Concil Chalced. actio 3. Libellus Theodoridiaconi ad Leonem PapaÌ„ ad Chalced coÌ„cilium Libellus Iscyronis ad Leonem nem PapaÌ„ Chalcedon conciliuÌ„ Vnto the most holy and most happie Archbishop of the great and old Rome Leo and to the generall councell assembled at Chalcedon Setting the Bishop of Rome as head before the generall couÌ„cell as his bodie which in expresse tearmes the whole couÌ„cel acknowledgeth writing vnto the said pope Leo the great That hee was President over them Quibus tu quidem sicut membris caput praeâ—ras quam velut auro textam seriem ex veste Christi praecepto legislatoris venientem vsque ad nos ipse servasti vocis beati Petri omnibus constitutus interpres eius si lei beatificationem super omnes adducâ—ns even as the head is to the rest of the members that the custodie of our lords vineyard was coÌ„mitted to him that hee was the interpreter of Saint Peters sentence Observe secondlie the forme of their definitiue sentence which is thus set downe The most holie and most blessed Archbishop of great and old Rome Leo Ibidem in exemplari epist Paschacini Vnde sanctissimus ac beatissimus Papa caput vniuersalis ecclesiae Leo per nos vt lâ—gatos suos sancta synodo consentiente Petri Apostoli praeditus dignitate qui ecclesiae fundamentum et petra fidei calestis regni lanitor nuncupatur Episcopali eum Dioscorum dignitate nudavit ab omni sacerdotali opere facit exortem by vs and this present holy councell together with the most happie most worthy Apostle S. Peter who is the rock and topp of the Catholike church hee who is the foundation of the Orthodox and true faith hath deposed Dioscorus from all Episcopall dignitie and deprived him of all priestlie function and ministery First let it bee well obserued and borne in mind that all the parts of this my discourse be verified in the sentences of these two generall councells First that S. Peter was that rocke vpon which Christ built his church Secondlie that the Bishop of Rome succeeded him therin Thirdlie that in the vertue therof is comprehended power and authoritie to vphold the Orthodox saith and to punish and depose the highest patriarches in the church aswell of the east as of the west if they do obstinatlie trouble the peace of Christs church This having been by the verdict and practise of the pure Church in ancieÌ„t time so cleerly testified in two of those prime generall councells which the Protestants themselues do confesse to bee Orthodox and authenticall what reasonable Christian can take anie exception against it yet for more full confirmation of this most important point of our faith I will passe through all the patriarchall seas and out of each of them choose some sufficient proofe for the popes supremacie in gouernment Athanasius patriarch of Alexandria was absolued and restored by Iulius pope of Rome Dioscorus of the same sea was excomunicated and deposed by Leo the great Nestorius patriarch of Constantinople was in like manner censured and depriued by Celestinus pope of Rome of whom wee haue alreadie treated Now to S. Iohn Chrysostom Bishop of the same city of Constantinople who was absolued and restored to his Bishopricke by Innocentius the first pope of Rome This verie learned zealous and godly prelate and most eloquent preacher was through the malice of the Empresse Eudoxia assisted by her husbaÌ„d the emperour Archadius deposed hoised out of his seate euen by the verdict of many Easterne Bishops assembled in a councell wherof Theophilus patriarch of Alexandria was the head wher vpon hee treading in the noble stepps of Athanasius and diuerse other good Bishops made his appeale to InnoceÌ„tius pope of Rome craving of him to reuerse that vniust sentence which had been given against him Innocentio Papae Ioannes Chrisost ex palladio in vita eius Quapropter ne confusio haec omnem quae sub coelo est nationem enuadat obsecro vt scribatis quod baec tam inique facta absentibus nobis non declinantibus iudicium non habeant robur sicut nec sua natura habent Illi autem qui inique egerunt poena â—cclesiasticarum legum subâ—aceant nobis vero qui nec conuicti nec redarguti nec habiti vt rei literis vestris charitate vestra aliorumque omnium quorum scilicet anâ—ea societate fruâ—bamur fâ—ui concâ—dite these bee his words I beseech thee holie father that their sentence so vniustly giuen in my absence I not refusing iudgement maie bee of no validity furthermore that they who haue done mee that wrong may according to the lawes of the church bee punished And commaund that I being innocent and not to bee convicted of any crime may bee restored to my church againe See most evident acknowledgment of the Bishop of Romes power to repeale the sentence of a councell holden in the greeke church by the greatest patriarch of those coasts yea and to inflict punishment vpon them Item to restore Saint Iohn Chrisostome to his Bishopricke againe which Innocentius effected Ex epist 30. Innocent ad Archadium ex Nicepho 10 l. 13. c. 34. Itaque ego minimus peccator cui thronus magni Apostoli Petri creditus est segrego to illam a perceptione immaculatorum mysterioruÌ„ Christi dei nostri Episcopum etiam omnem aut clericum ordinis sancta dei ecclesiae qui administrare aut exhibere â—a vobis ausuâ— fuerit ab ea hora qua presenteâ— vinculi meilegeritis literas dignitate sua excidisse decerne thundering out a most terrible sentence of excomunication against the Emperour Archadius in these tearmes I the least of Gods seruaÌ„ts and a sinner vnto whom the throne of the great Apostle S. Peter
is coÌ„mitted do excomunicate and exclude thee and thy wife from the coÌ„munion of the immaculate and sacred misteries And do declare that what Bishop or priests soever shall presume after the knowledge had of these my letters to minister the same to you therby to fall from his dignity and function This learned and holie pope much coÌ„meÌ„ded by S. Austin doubted not but that the Bishop of Rome had sufficient authoritie not onlie to depose and restore patriarches but also to excommunicate Emperours Now to the patriarch of Antioch though Saint Iohn Chrysostomes testimony who had been thirteene yeeres preacher in that citie might suffice yet wee want not others First Flauianus patriarch of Antioch was suÌ„moned to appeare at Rome Flauianus apud Theodoret l. 5. c. 23. Cum eo agit Imperator vt Romam adiret cui respondit Si qui me O Imperator vt fidem minime sinceram ac sanam profitentes insimulent dicantve vitam me traducere indignam sacerdotio tuÌ„ illis ipsis iudicibus vtar tum pronunciatam ab eis sententiam lubens subibo there to answere vnto matters obiected against him who put not in the protestaÌ„ts plea that the Bishop of Rome had no authoritie over him being the highest Bishop in all Asia but made meanes vnto the said pope by the frindship of Theophilus patriarch of Alexandria and S. Chrysostome and so appeased that matter as the Ecclesiasticall historyes do testifie And Theodoret that renowmed Hstoriographer Theodoret Leoni Episcopo Romano Post loâ— sudores labores ne in ius quidem vocatus sum condemnatus Ego autem Apostolicae vestrae sedu expecto sententiam supplico obsecro vestram sanctitatem vt mihi opem ferat iustum vestrum rectum appâ—llanti iudicium iubeat ad vos accurrâ—re ostendere meam doctrinam vestigia Apostolica sequentem ante omnia rogo vt sâ—iam a vobis an in inâ—â—sta hac depositione me oporteat acquiâ—scere an non vestram enim expecto sententià m si iudicatis sâ—are me iusserie stabo nec vlli deinceps homini molestiam exhibebâ— being Bishop of Cirus vnder the patriarch of Antioch did neverthelesse fly by appeale to Leo the great pope of Rome for redresse Thus hee writeth vnto him I attend the sentence of the sea Apostolike and do humblie beseech your holines that you defend and protect me appealing vnto your iust and vpright iudgment seat If you comaund mee to submitt my selfe to their sentence that haue condemned mee I will yeeld to it and neuer bee troublesome to any other Let these suffice for thâ— patriarkship of Antioch There remaines only the patriarch of Ierusalem for whom Anastasius patriarch of the same sea Anastâ—sius pâ—triâ—â—cha Hieâ—osolymâ—â—â—lâ—us epist ad Foelicâ—m papam Fuit seâ—per â—postolicae sedis vâ—stre liâ—â—ntia â—â—iustâ— damnatos vel â—xcommuniâ—atos potestatis suae auctoritate restituâ—re sua omnia eu râ—dderâ— illos qui eos câ—â—demnarunt aut excommunicavâ—â—unt Apostolico punire priuilegio sicut etiam nostris anterioribus novimus factum tempâ—ribuâ— antiquis regulis sancâ—tum est â—t quicquid quamuis tâ—â—â—â—otu prouinâ—â—s super corum querduant accusationibus ageretuâ— non prâ—â—s tractandum vel accipiendum esset quam ad notitiam alma vestra sedis esset deductum vt huâ—us auctoritate iuxta quod fuisset faciendum infirmaretur aut firmaretur about the same time in his letters vnto foelix pope of Rome writeth in this manner It was alwaies the libertie of your Apostolike sea by the authoritie of your power to acquite them that were vniustly condemned and excommunicated and to restore them to all they had lost eveÌ„ as wee haue seene done in our times and haue heard in the daies of our predecessors for saith hee a litle after it is by ancient Canons decreed that whatsoever bee handled about the affaires of Bishops yea though in prouinces farre remote that the same should not bee fullie determined before it were brought to the notice of your holie sea and by the aucthority therof bee either confirmed or reiected This great and ancient Patriarch not only witnesseth such soveraigne power and authoritie to belonge vnto the Bishop of Rome but pleadeth also for the same out of the former approved Canons of the Church Among which that of the councel of Sardica I hold to bee the chiefest Ex concilio Sardicense c. 4. Quod si aliquis episcopus adiudicatus fuerit in aliqua causa putat se bonam causam habere vt iterum iudicium renouetur si vobis placet S. Petri Apostoli memoriam honoremus vt scribatur Romano Pontifici si iudicauerit renouandum esse iudicium renouetur det iudicos si autem probauerit talem causam vt ea non refriceutur quae acta sunt Quae decreuerit Romanus Pontifex confirmata erunt Si ergo omnibus placeat statuatur synodus respondit placet c. 5. Alter episcopus post talem appellationem in eadem cathedra no admittetur nisi causa fuerit in iudicio Romani Pontificis determinata where it is in expresse tearmes decred that if any Bishop of what countrie soever have his cause iudged otherwise then hee thinketh right hee may appeale vnto the Bishop of Rome who maie appoint new Iudges and send them to heare it againe and finallie determine it Now that they who haue lesse skill in ancient histories may vnderstand of what creditt that councell of Sardica is Let theÌ„ know first that it was called by Iulius Bishop of Rome Secondly there were present that famous Hosius who was one of the presidents of the Nicene councell And Athanasius with many other renowmed Bishops which had been members of the said first generall councell of Nice and above 300. Bishops came thither both out of the East and west as a Athan. Apolog 2 in medio Athanasius writeth wherfore hee tearmeth it instar Niceni such an other as the first Nicene councell was b Sulpit. l. 2. sacra histor Sulpitius Severus tearmeth it a councell called from all parts of the word c Socrat. l. 2 hist c. 16. Socrates in his history a generall councell Briefly the Centuriators of Magdeburg Centur. 4. cap. 99. do approve the same councell for Authenticall These few testimonies for the supreme power and authoritie of the Bishop and church of Rome being taken from verie eminent sincere and learned personages who in the florishing time of Christianity governed the patriarchall seas of the greeke and east churches confirmed also with the acts and sentences of the generall councell of Ephesus Chalcedon and Sardica cannot but giue full satisfaction vnto all true Christians that even in the purest antiquitie the popes coÌ„manding power and superioritie in government was beleeved practized and approved all Christendome over 14 After so many plaine demonstrations of the Bishops of Romes supremacie in causes ecclesiasticall I hope the curteous reader will
church of Rome nor makes any comparison in matter of higher nature but all this is deuised and thrust in out of the fecundity of M. Abbots vnderstanding yet let vs grant that S. Ciprian might meane that the Bishops in Africk had no loss authoritie to Iudg of their own subiects faults then any other Bishops yea then the Bishop of Rome himself hath It doth not thervpon ensue that he thought the Bishops in Africke not inferiour vnto the Bishop of Rome For in times past in our owne countrey when it was Catholike and now in France men cannot appeale to Rome from the ordinarie courts of their owne countrie without speciall licence and yet in farr greater matters they acknowledg the pope to be their supreme governor in causes Ecclesiasticall But of this point we shall speake more in the next obiection which is thus propounded by M. Abbot R. AB 21 The African councell acknowledged the church of Rome for the first and principall sea Concil Afric cap. 6. and the Bishop therof they tearme the Bishop of the first and principall sea and yet they deny the Bishop of Rome to haue anie authority over them yea when zozimus Bonifacius and Celestinus chalenged the same by a forged Canon of the councell of Nice Ibid. can 101. Those African Bishops for the disproving therof sent to the patriarches of Alexandria and Constantinople for autenticall copies of the same councell wherin they found no such matter And thervpon wrote to Celestinus that he should forbeare to send his legates to intermeddle in their matters Ibid can 105. And forbad all appeales saving to their owne councells excommunicating them that presumed to appeale to Rome Ibid. can 92. And in this recusancy of subiection they continued afterward for the space of an hundreth yeeres vntill Eulalius the Bishop of Carthage submitted the same to Pope Boniface w. B. This councell of Africk and fact of the African Bishops there assembled is very often in all protestants mouthes and writings therfore I will more particulerly examin it and make somwhat a longer staie vpon it M. Abbot coÌ„mitts two faults in his first allegation out of the sixt canon of that councell the former of ignorance in that he doth applie that to the Bishop of Rome which the councell speaketh of the Archbishop of Carthage their owne primate and Metropolitane whom though they would haue to be obeyed as primats are in all other countries yet they desired that hee should forbeare that statlie stile and title of primacie and be contented to be called Bishop of the first sea his other fault is an audacious averring them to deny that Bishop to haue any authoritie ouer them of which in that canon there is never a word But the plaine contrarie is therin implied For they there speaking of their owne Metropolitane they must needs bee vnderstood being no Puritanes to acknowledg him to haue authoritie over all other Bishops in the same province In the 101 Canon which M. Abbot doth alleage in the second place he over reacheth also not a little For wheras those Bishops do humbly request his holines not to grant deputies to everie one that shall come to Rome to demaund them he saies they willed the pope not to intermeddle at all in their matters And in the third place cited by them to witt Canon 92 there is a notorious falsification for wheras that councell doth forbid onlie priests and deacons other inferiour persons to appeale to Rome M. Abbot saies they forbid all appeales wheras they speake not of Bishops of whom principally the question was but leaue that in the state wherin it was before This by the waie to shew how corruptly M. Abbot cites his authors and how litle coÌ„science hee makes to deceiue his seely reader that is so simple as to believe what he saith Now to the maine matter of the 101 Canon which hee cites in the secoÌ„d place which well considered doth rather confirme the popes authoritie over those Africane Bishopes then infirme it For albeit the Bishops of Africk did not acknowledg any such canon to be in the councell of Nice which by the popes legat was alledged to prove that appellations might be made out of Africk or anie other countrie vnto Rome in some cases yet they did so behaue themselues therin that anie reasonable man may perceiue their great affectioÌ„ and humble obedience vnto the same sea of Rome For they not finding in their owne copies of the Nicene counsell that which was put into the Legats instructions desired respite to make enquiry after the best copies and in the meane season promised obedience These be their words These things that out of the said instructioÌ„s are alleaged vnto vs concerning the appeales of Bishops Concilium Carthag nomine sextum ordine 5. n. 4. Ista nos tamen tantisper seruatioros vt anteaâ— dixi donec integra exemplaria veniant profitemâ—r Petendus est autem litteris nostris venerabilis Ecclesia Romanae Episcopus Bonifacius vt ipse quoque dignetur ad memoratas ecclesias alâ—quos mittere qui eadem exemplaria praedicti Niceni Concilij secundum eius possint scripta proferre In Epistola Concilij ad Bonifacium cap. 101. Quod donec fiant hac quae in commonitorio supradicto nobis allegata sunt de appellationibus Episcoporum ad Romanae sedis Sacerdotem nos vsque ad probationem seruaturos esse profitemur beatitu inem tuam ad hoc nos adiuturam in dei voluntate confidimus vnto the Bishop of Rome c of priests causes to bee determined by the Bishops of their owne provinces wee do professe and promise to obserue vntill due triall of those canons be made trust in the will of God that your holines will helpe vs thervnto If those Reuerend and holy Bishops of Africa had been infected with the leauen of the protestants they would haue soone answered as M. Abbot here vntrulie reporteth they did that the Bishop of Rome had no authority ouer them and haue willed him to keepe himself within his owne bounds and not to intermeddle with the matters of Africk But they contrariwise promised obedience vntill true triall were made which argueth that the custome before was for bishops to appeale to Rome and therfore that to be continued vntill proofe could bee made to the contrarie according to that axiome of the law Let him that is in possessioÌ„ keepe his possession vntill good proofe bee brought against him Quia melior est conditio possidentis Secondly when those reverend fathers had receiued copies from Alexandria and Constantinople wherin were not contained any Canons for appealing to Rome they certified the same in these submissiue words Praefato debito salutationis officio impendio deprecamur c Cap. 105. Prafato it aque debita salutationis officio impendio deprecamur vt deinceps ad vestras aures hinc venientes non facilius admit tatis The
dutie of our bounden salutations premised wee do earnestly request and pray you that you will not too easilie admitt to your audience them that come from hence And before their letters they sett this title Dilectissimo Domino to their best beloued Lord and most honorable brother Do not these humble words of bounden dutie vnto their Lord notifie what esteeme they made of the Bishop of Rome They saie indeed that they found neither in the Canons of the Nicene councell nor in anie other of their fathers that the Bishop of Rome should send anie legats into their country to heare and determine their causes wherin by the leaue of such worthy personages be it spoken they shew that they had not read or well considered the Canons of the councell holden at Sardica which was both verie generall and most autenticall as I haue proved before for in that councell it is expresly decred that any Bishop of what coast or countrie soever may appeale vnto the Bishop of Rome Concil Sard. ca. 4. 7. And that the said Bishop of Rome maie depute and send others to the place where the Bishops appellants do dwell to heare and determine all such causes And most probable it is that those holy popes Zozimus Bonifacius and Celestinus meant the same canons of the councell of Sardica which they called the Canons of the Nicene councell because that councell of Sardica was both holden by some of the same principall persons that were at the Nicene councell as Hosius Athanasius and such like and did also treat much about the same matters wherfore it is said to be ioyned in the Roman copy with the councell of Nice and reputed as an appendix or parcell of it And therin perhaps was the errour cōmitted that the popes having both these councells compact into one named the canons of both after the more principall and more renowmed councell of Nice calling them the canons of the Nicene councell which in rigour were but the canons of the councell of Sardica yet that councell of Sardica being of the same authoritie and binding power they in alleaging them vnder the name of the Nicene did not offer any wrong vnto those Bishops of Africk exacting onely that that their right might bee preserved entire among them which by the approued canons of the church was due vnto their seat And these reverend prelates of the African church were the more excusable for that they had not seen perhaps any true copie of the approued councell of Sardica at that time the place being verie remote from them and the litle space of time which was betweene the two councels of Sardica and Afrike having been also most troblesome by reason of the Arrians manifold violent persecutions this much in brief of that great busines wherby it appeareth cleerly that although these reuerend prelates of Africk held it much more expediēt that all perticuler cōtroversies about meū tuum concerning misdemeanors and crimes should be handled in the place where the parties and witnesses were knowen where all particulers might bee more narowly sifted and with more speed and less charges tried then a far of in a forrain countrie yet for matter of faith and rites of religion they never denyed the explicatiō or determinatiō therof to appertaine to the Bishop of Rome Appeales to Rome in matters of law haue been in our owne countrie when it was Catholike forbidden without the expresse leaue of the prince and at this daie are in the Christiā countrie of France without any deniall of the popes supreme cōmanding power in cases Ecclesiasticall which is all and more too then the African councell did Conc. Afri c. 92. Item placuit vt presbyteri diaconi vel caeteri inferiores clerici si de iudiciis episcoporū suorum questi fuerint c. for that doth only forbid priests and inferior persons to appeale thither leaving all Bishops art their libertie so that in fine if all were grāted which M. Abbot goeth about to prove yet it is not sufficient to infringe the supremacy of the pope for albeit appeales to Rome in matter of law were prohibited yet recourse thither for matter of faith and religiō being approued stāding good the supremacy is sufficiently maintained 21 Notwitstanding because the fact of the African councell is holdē by the Protestāts who for wāt of greater proofe are faine to make much of a little to be very preiudiciall vnto the supremacy of the sea of Rome I will heere produce some testimonies of the best learned most approued Africā Doctors in favor of the pope church of Romes supreme power over Afrike it self The first shal be S. Ciprian who as in dignitie was primate of Afrike so for his great wisedome and learning was inferior to few and in his glorious martirdome over went the rest This right worthy Archbishope declareth plainly that they were not accustomed to end all their controversies at home Ciprian Epistola 45. ed Pam. Sed cum statuissemus collegae complures qui in vnum conueneramus vt legatis ad vos Episcopis nostris Caldonio fortunato omnia interim integra suspenderentur donec ad nos ijdem collegae a nostri venirent But he himself with the assent of other Bishops did send two Bishops the one called Calidonius the other Fortunatus vnto Cornelius then pope of Rome recomēding their causes vnto him And sheweth how in the meane season whiles their causes were before him the Bishops of Africa would liue in suspence expecting his iudgment Is not this an evidēt demonstration that the Bishops of Africk in S. Ciprians times which was within 200. yeres of Christ held the court of Rome to be ouer and aboue their owne which yet S. Ciprian in the same epistle doth more expresly declare Ibidem Nos etiam singulis nauigantibus ne cum scandalo vllo nauigarent rationem reddentes scimus nos hortatos eos esse vt ecclesiae Catholicae radicem matricem agnoscerent actenerent when he doth exhort and councell the appellants that went to Rome to cary themselues there without scādall and to aknowledg and obserue the church of Rome as the roote or foundation and mother of the Catholike church Ex Epistola Stephani Archiep concil Africae ad Damasum Papam habetur Tomo 1. Concil inter Epistolas damasi Notum vestrae facimus beatitudini quod quidam fratres in confinio nobis positi quosdam fatres nostros venerabiles videlicet Episcopos vobis inconsultis a proprio deijciunt gradu vel deiicere moliuntur cum vestrae sedi Episcoporum iudicia summorum finem ecclesiasticorum negotiorum in honore beatissimi Petri patrum decreta omnium cunctam reseruauere sententiam c. Stephen a reuerend Bishop of Mauritania in Afrike who liued before that African councell thus writeth to pope Damasus wee make knowē vnto your holines that some Bishops our neighbors haue gone about to depose
A DISPROOFE OF D. ABBOTS COVNTERPROOFE AGAINST D. BISHOPS REPROOFE of the defence of M. Perkins reformed Catholike THE FIRST PART wherin the now Roman church is maintained to be the true ancient Catholike church and is cleered from the vniust imputation of Donatisme where is also briefly handled whether euery Christian can be saued in his owne religion BY W. B. P. AND D. IN DIVINITY Ex Augustino con epist Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 1. Cum non desinant fremere ad dominici gregis caulas atque ad diripiendas tanto pretio redemptas oues aditum vndique rimari commune nobis est c. pestilentibus infidiantibus eorum scriptis medentia munientia scripta praetendere quibus rabies qua furunt aut etiam ipsa sanetur aut à laedendis alijs repellatur AT PARIS Printed by CLAVDI MORELL M.DC.XIV CVM huius libri Auctor nobis infra scriptis de fide eruditione sit probe cognitus alijque S. Theologiae linguae Anglicanae periti contestati sint nihil in eo contineri quod non sit Catholicae fidei pietati consentaneum ex ipsorum fidecensemus eundem vtiliter excudi publicari posse MICHAEL AVBRY NICOLAVS ISEMBERT Doctores Sorbonici Idem ex propria scientia Testor ANTHONIVS CHAMPNEVS Doctor item Sorbonicus To fill vp this spare roome I set this sentence of S. Austins against the Donatist Petilian that it may be added vnto the resemblances between the Donatists and the Protestants touched in this booke page 364. l. 3. c. 40 co lit pet Then he went on with a slaunderous tongue in the dispraise of Monasteries and Monkes blaming me also that I had instituted that kind of life Of which manner of life either he is vtterlie ignorant or rather he faynes himself ignorant of that which is famouslie knowen all the world ouer Obserue that it is a Donatisticall trick to inveigh against religious houses and religious persons by the Protestants reuiued and much augmented ILLVSTRISSIMO ET REVERENDISSIMO S. R. E. CARDINALI D. D. Francisco de Ioyeuse Episcopo Ostiensi Sacri Cardinalium Collegij Decano Guilielmus Bishop Anglus aeternam foelicitatem CVM amplissimo ac nobilissimo Clero Gallicano nos plurimum debere agnoscamus ingenue perlibenter praedicemus quod nos Anglos patria quidem religionis Catholicae ergò pulsos eiusdem defendendae causa I arisus collectos annua sua pensione subleuare atque cohonestare vóluerint tum vestram certe illustriss dignitatem quae summum inter illos locum merito iure obtinet singulari quadam beneuolentia complecti eximio etiam honore prosequi quam aequissimum esse censent omnes Hinc factum est vt interim dum opus Latinè elaboratum paremus quod omnibus quoquo modo possit inseruire libellum hunc Anglicana lingua conscriptum Celsitudini vestrae dedicarem quo appareret nos tempus non conterere otio sed aliquid in singulos dies meditari quod publicum Catholicae Ecclesiae bonum promoueat Si vero initium a charissima nobis patria ducamus quo parentibus simul prodesse poterimus nemo aequus rerum aestimator vti speramus id aegrè feret nec vulgarem certescio Galliae vestrae afferret vel voluptate veletiam commoditatem si Anglia nostra ad Catholicam religionem dei praepotentis gratia reduceretur Praeterea praecipuus huius libelli scopus hic est summi Pontificis Sacrosanctae Romanae Ecclesiae integritatem dignitatem auctoritatem a maleuolis aduersariorum calumnijs obtrectationibus non tueri modo conseruare sed eandem etiam nonnullis è sacris literis sanctorum patrum monumentis petitis argumentis illustrare atque propugnare cui igitur potius opuscalum hoc inscribendum fuit quam eiusdem S. R. E. lumini splendissimo firmissimoque columini qui Illustrissimum esse Cardinalem quae in ecclesia clarissima est dignitas pro paruo ducere possit cum celeberrimi sanctissimi totius orbis terrarum supremi illius Senatus primum etiam locum obtineat Decanus dignissimus Nec Christianissimi tantum ac amplissimi Galliarum regni in Romana curia Protector iamdiu extitit potentissimus sed in summi◠Apostolicae sedis cum florentiss Venetorum statu difficultatibus mediator adfuit summus veluti moderator gratiosissimus Adeo vt Catholici omnes non minus fere Illustrissimae D. vestrae debeant quod ingruens illud bellum Reipub Christianae periculosissimum sapienter auerterit quam quod ad obtinendum totius Ecclesiae Primatum Sanctissimum Dominum nostrum Paulum Papam quintum primo illo honoris gradu vtique dignissimum praecipuè adiuuerit Si igitur aliquid summi Pontificis principatu dignum mea quam exilis industria elaborare possit quod sentio quam sit exiguum digniorem cui illud dicaretur D. vestra Illustrissima reperirem neminem Huc accedit quod Diaecesi Rhotomagensi nobis proximae sacrosanctus praesis Archiepiscopus in altissimo illo munere administrando tam multa adeo praeclarè gesseris vt nostros oculos animos ad Illustrissimam D. vestram suspiciendam colendamque attraxerint Egregiā vestram in templa aliaque pia loca opera magnificentiam tacitus praeteribo quia ad maiora quae disciplinam Ecclesiasticam propius spectant festino Salutem populi ex sacerdotum honestate scientia industria dependere plurimum nemo est qui nescit Quam ob causam semmarium vestris fundastis sumptibus in quo melioris notae ac indolis iuuenes ad diuinarum rerum cognitionem morum probitatem recte instituantur vt boni effecti pastores commissum sibi gregem in via mandatorum dei ad gloriosissimū caelorum regnum faeliciter perducant Insuper cum venerabiles ac pios congregationis Oratorij patres spiritu imprimis feruere oratione pollere animaduerteritis domicilium illis perquà m commodum in Diaecesi vestra collocastis quo doctrinae lumine vitae exemplo tam eos qui in virtutum stadio decurrunt vt vehementius currant incitarent quam vt illos qui haereticorum retibus irretiti de via veritatis aberrant ad Catholicae Ecclesiae caulas suis humeris reportarent Nec his solum qui in communi vitae genere deo deseruiunt consuluisse singulari vestrae charitati satis fuit nisi monasterium etiam dotaret in quod sanctissimae virgines quae crucem Christi mundi delitijs anteponentes sese è mari hoc procelloso quasi in tranquillum portum reciperent vt liberiùs pleniùs sponso suo caelesti vacare pro huius miserrimi saeculi peccatis ardentiùs interpellare possent Cum his qui in saeculo illis quae in Claustro sanctè viuere studēt a prudente vestra pietate adeo affluenter prouisum sit an hic tandem fuit vigilantissimae vestrae curae pastoralis finis Minime vero
and to stop the aduersaries mouth that hee maie haue no thing further to replie I haue according to Tertullians rule endevored to make truth to vse all her strength I haue taken time conuenient to levie such troupes and bands that I maie not need to doubt of the victorie compare these places togither and tell mee whether they bee not plaine contradictorie to handle questions positiuelie and brieflie And to treate of them so fullie and in such exquisite manner that to the verie aduersarie nothing should be left to replie there he wrote that hee tooke convenient leasure to leavie such troupes and bandes that hee needed not to doubt of victory here having seene his said troupes and bands harassed and defeated hee is of another mind and vpon better advise acknowledgeth that his former furniture was slender and that hee handled the matter but superficiallie whether of these should the good Reader beleeue both hee cannot being so contrarie the one to the other yet being one and the same great Doctor that hath sett downe both in print and recomended both to his reader he may hap to stagger which of them he is to take for true M. Abbot so highlie magnified there his vttermost endevor to discusse those matters plentifullie and exactly that he left to himself here no colour for this poore excuse which he cometh in withall of handling these questions positiuely well if the maister of the worke himself surveying it better ouer vpon my aduertisment do thinke his former arguments and answeres which then he tooke to bee compleate and insoluble to bee both slender and feeble I make no doubt but that the discreet reader will doe him so much honor and credit as to follow his iudgmeÌ„t therin and to esteeme no better of them then hee himself doth that fauoureth them most and should know them best surelie mee thinkes it must needes be a sufficient wrning to anie man to beware how hee beleeueth him who doth not beleeue himself in his former writings Now to that bigge bragge of his that hee hath in a brief advertisment trowneed mee terribly like a Saturnian frowning angrie scholemaister scourged me accordinglie God bee thanked his words be but wind for the poore scholler so piteously whipped by him feeles no paine at all But what meant hee to hide that Cholericke pamphlet of his written in more hast belike then good speede in such a corner that a man must ride to the latter end of the third part of his long tedious bookes ere he can find it out well sith it hath pleased him to range it in that place so farr out of the waie he cannot bee offended that I do not answere it till I come thither in the meane season let the iudicious reader take a scantling by this my answere vnto his worke of longer meditation how easilie that short pamphlett written both in hast and in passion maie bee answered M. AB BVT in that reproofe of his verie litle it is that hee hath said for iustifying what hee himself had before written not being able in deed to defend any one pointe therof onelie hee found some what to cavill concerning my debating of the name Catholike and the comparison I made betwixt the old and new Roman church and therof as touching the matter in substance he hath framed his booke W. B. VVhat he should saie or doe that dealeth with such a shameles writer I assure thee good Reader I do not well know my booke is extant and in manie mens hands as he cannot bee ignorant Let them all or whosoeuer els pleaseth to reade it be iudges betwene vs whether from the verie preface vnto the end of my booâ—â— I doe any thing els then pleade in iustification of what I had before written putting downe word by word first what exception M. Abbot had taken against the same then answering directlie to euery pointe and parcell therof must he not then if any grace be left in him blush at these his words that I said very little for iustifieing what I had before written where more is saied to that very purpose I think then hee wil be well able to answere these seaven yeeres he that in the Entrie of his booke sticketh not to tell such grosse tales what credit doth he deserue in the residue he confesseth that I said something of the namâ— Catholike and of his comparison betwene the old and new Roman church which is true but when he signifieth that therof in substance my whole booke was framed he goeth about to deceiue and that very grosly for besides sundrie other matters I treated of these very three points in particuler which M. Abbot pretends to be most pertinent to his purpose To wit the first that Saint Paule both in his Epistle to the Romanes and in the rest doth teach most branches of the Romane doctrine which is handled from the page of my booke 134. vnto 149. The secoÌ„d that so did also some of the most holie best learned ancient Bishops of Rome froÌ„ p. 149. vnto p. 219. And as plainly against the third point I declared that not so much as one heresie condeÌ„ned of old is by the moderne church of Rome reviued or countenanced but that the protestants do in expresse tearmes revive boulster out and vphold manie old rotten errours and heresies recorded and condemned for such by the most sound sincere and Iuditiouse witnesses of the primitiue church S. Augustin Sainct Ambrose Sainct Hierome S. Epiphanius and others see the page 251. and manie after all which being to bee found most certain and true with a wett finger as they saie by turning onlie to the places quoted the reader if he haue any care to find out the truth and to avoid errors will I hope take notice at the length of M. Abbots most palpable and notorious leasings who would make him beleeve that there were nothing of substaÌ„ce in my booke of anie of those matters R. ABBOT TO this therfore I haue addressed my description of the ancient Roman Catholike forbearing that more orderlie course which I had intended for the performance of this worke and chosing rather to follow him step by step as formerlie I haue done onlie beginning where he cometh to the purpose and leaving all his vagaries and affected discourses to hee more briefly touched in the end of all W. B. YOV may here discouer why M. Abbot was bold to straine a point and to saie that I only touched the name Catholike and that comparison that hee forsooth addressing an answere thervnto might be taken to haue if not proceeded orderly yet to haue spoken to the purpose directly But it being euident and cleare that I handled as well those other three pointes and in the same order as he propounded them everie vnderstanding man may perceaue that his purpose was rather to shift from orderly proceeding and to thrust out some such stuffe as he had ready for the present to entertaine his favorable
reader and for the rest to take a longer daie wheras he saies that he hath followed me step by step he should rather haue said leape by leap and that with such vnexpected nimble dexteritie in a man of his declining age and heauy constitution that at the verie first feese he hath overlept fowerscore and seauen pages of mine smoothing the matter ouer as though all that had been vagaries volūtarie discourses of mine owne when as in deed there is not one passage of them but in answere to another of his there also set downe as everie one maie see And that the reader maie take a vieu of his substantiall answering my booke maie it please him to consider that in my whole booke there are but two hundred fourescore and six pages in quarto vnto threescore and one wherof M. Abbots answere doth extend onelie he beginning at the 87. and ending at the 148. and yet hath he chopped of by the waie 7 pages at one blowe as he cōfessesh himself in the 227. page of his booke so that in all he hath answered vnto 54 sides that is 27 leaues in quarto which doth not amonut to 7 sheetes of paper Now out of these 7 sheets you must also draw M. Abbots owne text which is comprised within mine and taketh vp neere hand the third part therof so that in true reckoning his prettie thick booke in quarto is but an answere to little more then fower sheets of mine And yet the vanitie of this braggadochio is such that he would make his simple reader beleeue that he hath coursed me Iolily following me step by step and leaving nothing of substance in all my book vnanswered R. AB OF this worke I haue finished but one only part wherin I haue at large discouered their vaine ostentation of the Catholike name and faith and shewed plainelie that the Romish religion accordeth not with Saint Pauls Epistle to the Romanes nor with his other Epistles which M. Bishrop Calleth to assist him bicause he findeth nothing to helpe him in that Epistle to the Romanes In all which I have been carefull gentle reader to giue thee satisfaction by the Cleere testimonie either of some learned Bishop of Rome or by some other famouslie approued and comended by that church Being now required a service of another kind so that I cannot yet goe forward with the rest I haue thought good to publish this in the meane time If I haue promised anie thing in this that is not here performed expect it in that that is to come Assist mee I praie thee with thy praiers vnto Almighlie God by whose grace I hope in due time to supplie that that is wanting now w. B. BEcause I haue as I hope sufficientlie displaied in my former booke the mans vaine humor in presuming aboue measure vpon his owne strength and shewed that his vaunting words do farr surpasse his slender works Therfore I do now onlie desiret the reader to suspend his Iudgment till he come to behold the combat it self which I trust to obtaine the sooner because M. Abbot himself notwithstanding his former florish seemeth here to feare some after clapp And therfore intreateth his gentle reader to beare with him if he hath not performed in this that which he promised and to praie to God to help him forth with it and then to expect by tom long the carrier some more worthie peece of worke for a supplie I am glad to see some more modestie in the man then was wont to bee we haue not now as he fondly vaunted in his first book the whole truth furnished and set out with all its strength and such troupes and bands levied as should fright and put to flight all the world but one part of a poore peece of worke wherin he doubteth also whether he hath performed so much as he promised seing the world so amended and such a towardly disposition in him my poore praiers shall not be wanting that he may haue grace to see his wn weaknes to vnderstand daily better and better the badnes of their cause to feele more and more the feeblenes of mans wit setting it self against the might of Gods truth and so by little and little to retire himself from the bolstering out of that which he perceiueth not to be substātiall and sound and begin at length to employ his talents to the honour of him and in defence of his cause that hath bestowed them vpon him In the meane season goods ir what reason haue you to except against mee for employing the other Epistles of S. Paule aswell as that to the Romanes in favor of the Roman religion be not proofes taken out of anie of the other as pregnant and forcible as if they were taken out of that are they not all alike canonicall and of the same divine authoritie you doe but dreame when you imagine that proofes taken out of that to the Romanes be more proper then others for confirmation of the Romain faith should not the Romanes beleeve anie thing deliuered in the other Epistles of S. Paule as firmelie receiue it as currantlie as if it had been written to themselues Againe that Epistle was not penned by the Romans to declare their faith but was by the Apostle addressed to them for their further instruction and consolation wherfore it can be no more properly called a profession of their faith then of anie other Christians everie Christian being as well bound to beleeue all written therin as the Romanes M. Abbot contrarie to his owne knowledg eie-sight doth saie that I craved aide of the other Epistles of S. Paul because I could find nothing to helpe mee in that to the Romanes for I do alleage many texts out of that verie Epistle in proofe of the Catholike cause I desire thee reader but to turne to the 135. page of my booke and if he there do not find that I haue emploied as manie sentences therof to mainteine our cause as M. Abbot that braggs so much of it hath done to vphold theirs then let him take M. Abbot for a true mā but it being certain that I haue as plentifully produced testimonies out of it how canst thou choose but censure M. Abbot for a man that makes small conscience what hee saies of his adversaries writing finallie to vnderpropp his credit which hee saw tottering and like to decay he auerreth that hee hath been carefull to giue his Reader satisfaction in his allegations vsed in this booke hauing made choice onlie either of some learned Bishops of Rome or of others famously approued by that church But what if that bee not so neither doth he not by heaping one false tale in the neck of another much hasten on the downfall of his reputation and creditt who is ignorant that the Roman church hath condemned by name Cornelius Agrippas book de vanitate scientiarum and yet M. Abbot page 851 doth solemnly cite him for one of his grave Authors All the learned
argument for the question is about tearmes and a stile of speach wherfore the conclusion must bee so it may not bee tearmed or so it cannot bee stiled and not passing from the tearme or stile to conclude so it is not here one may well demaund how things can bee so tearmed if they bee not so in themselves I answere that it often falleth out that one thing is called by the name of another thing though it bee not fully out the same for example some part maie bee called by the name of whole though it bee not the whole as a part of the aire is called the aire anie part of the water is called water Against which if a man should reason as M. Abbot doth no part is the whole but this is a part of water therfore it is not the whole the conclusion might bee graunted him and yet had hee gotten nothing therby but the imputation of misarguing and not concluding that which was in question the question being whether a part might bee called by the name of the whole which hee toucheth not and not whether it were the whole or noe which only hee disputeth it fareth even so in the former argument for the questioÌ„ being whether with the Catholike church might bee linked in the same stile the church of Rome hee concludes onlie that the church of Rome is not the Catholike church which if wee grant him he were never the nearer for albeit the church of Rome were not the Catholike church taken in vniuerso or absolutely yet may it be called by the name of the whole and much more be in stile linked with the whole first bicause everie particular church that keepeth coÌ„munion of faith and religion with the vniuersall Catholike church may bee called and tearmed the Catholike church which M. Abbot himself confesseth Page 17. and citeth divers good auctours to prooue it as a Leo Epistola 12. Leo pope of the Catholike church of Rome b Collat. cuÌ„ donat cognitione 1. c. 16. Aurelius Bishop of the Catholike church of Carthage c August coÌ„â—rescon l. 3. c. 13. All the Africane Catholike churches and so forth where you see by the ancient stile of approved prelates and Doctors Catholike Roman and Catholike African and such like may verie well in stile bee ioyned togither without any feare of being scorned by the vnskilfull for a particular vniuersall The second reason why wee rather ioyne Roman to Catholike then the name of anie other church is for that the RomaÌ„ church in faith and religioÌ„ never hath been nor never shal bee separated from the vniversall Catholike church as shal bee here after declared whervpon as they shall ever hold togither in soundnes of faith so maie they bee alwaies linked togither in veritie of stile Thirdly for that wee beleeve as euery good Christian ought to do which in this sectioÌ„ shal beproued the Roman church to bee the chief and as it were the head of the vniuersall church and therfore the Roman maie rather in stile bee coopled with the vniversall Catholike then anie other This then is the first fault and that a very foule one which M. Abbot doth committ in this argument he doth not conclude that which is in question but flitteth away from it and quite changeth the tearmes wherefore having altered it he doth say vntruly that hee hath reduced it into moode and figure which if he would haue done rightly thus hee should have framed his argument No particuler church can bee ioyned in stile with the Catholike church or can bee called the Catholike church but the Roman church is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee ioyned in stile or called the Catholike church If it had been thus reduced into moode and figure as true scholasticall and plaine dealing required it had not had in it anie one good proposition I haue proved already that the maior is false because anie particuler church sound in faith and religion may bee called the Catholike church and ioyned in stile with the Catholike even as well and as truly as any part of the aire may bee called the aire And more specially the churh of Rome for the priviledges it hath of continuing alwaies in the true faith and for her superiority in governement The minor also or second proposition is not vniversally true for albeit that church of Rome that is conteyned within the walls and Diocesse of Rome bee a particuler church yet the church of Rome in a larger signification maie bee taken for the whole Catholike church and designe aswell the true church of fraunce of England or anie other nation as that of Italy which I will demonstrate in the next paragraff wherfore the minor proposition which is but the church of Rome is a particuler church is not absolutely true bicause it may aswell bee taken for the vniversall as for a particuler church both the premisses then and former propositions being subiect to reprehension the conclusion must needes bee starke naught Briefly in that argument wherof the Protestants do make such account there bee three foule faults Two bee in it as they frame it the first in that it mistaketh or changeth the tearmes and in steed of coÌ„cluding the Roman church not to bee called or stiled the Catholike church they conclude that it is not the Catholike The second in that they take for granted that the Roman church is onlie a particuler church when as it may and is often taken for the vniversall The third fault will shew it self in the first proposition when the argument comes to bee rightly framed thus No particuler church can be called or stiled the Catholike church which is most false bicause every true particuler church may bee called the Catholike church or stiled with the Catholike M. Abbots secoÌ„d argument being not much vnlike the first may in like manner bee defeated yet more shal bee said of it in the fourth paragraff Nowe to make good the reasons that I have given why the church of Rome may bee more speciallie linked with the Catholike in stile namely for her superiority in governement this present paragraff must bee employed where M. Abbot doth what hee can to infringe the same in the next section it shal bee proued that the Roman church may well signifie the whole Catholike church in the last sectioÌ„ of this chapter wee shall speake a word or two of M. Abbots later argument Concerning the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbot acknowledgeth to beloÌ„g vnto that church as it then was eminency of place precedeÌ„ce of honour authoritie of estimation but no authoritie of power or superiority in government over any of the rest which to make good hee instituteth a long disorderly discourse now carping at that which I said before in defence of that superioritie of government then powring forth many arguments confusedly some heere some there to disprove the same so that I can scarse devise how to range them in
anie good order yet to make the matter as seÌ„sible and perspicuous as his perplexed proceeding will give mee leave I will gather into the first place what hee hath scatteringly disputed against the supremacy of the church of Rome and giue answere to that SecoÌ„dly I will confirme our part Lastly I will examine how sufficientlie hee hath answered my former argumeÌ„ts made to prove the same M. Abbots first argumeÌ„t against the primacye of the sea of Rome is taken ab authoritate negative as schollers do vse to speake from authoritie negatiuelie which kind of reasoning though among the protestants it bee holden for currant in matter of faith yet hee can not be ignoraÌ„t that wee allow not of it who hold some points of faith to bee deliuered by vnwritten tradition wherfore if hee had not wanted iudgment hee should not so confidentlie haue vsed such kind of arguments against vs. But let vs heare them such as they be S. Peter and S. Paul do make no mention of this superioritie of the churh of Rome in their Epistles therfore there is none such this is a verie vaine and insufficient argument even in the waie of protestants for albeit they would grant that if there were no warrant for it in all the old or new testament that then it were not to bee creditted yet they would not denie but that it might bee a matter of faith though there were no mention made of it in S. Peter or S. Pauls Epistles so that it bee recorded in anie other part of the scriptures for all parts of the holy scriptures are alike true wherfore anie thing written in anie parcell therof is as well to bee beleeved as if it were written in S. Peters or S. Pauls Epistles But M. Abbot vrgeth in this manner S. Paul writ an Epistle to the Romanes and therfore hee would not haue omitted that their priviledge if any such had been I answere that S. Paul writt to the Romans not of all matters but to instruct them in some importaÌ„t poiÌ„ts of doctrine and to coÌ„fort them in their tribulatioÌ„s which hee might well do without makiÌ„g any mentioÌ„ of the priviledges of their church besides neither M. Abbot not anie man els I thinke is able to shewe that S. Paul in all that Epistle doth so much as once treat of Bishops or church government wherfore he had no occasioÌ„ ministred to talke of the Roman churches supremacy Let it for this time suffice that S. Paul doth els where acknowledg S. Peter for a person of excellency and his superiour as the holie learned Doctors do gather out of these his words Then after three yeeres I came to Hierusalem to see Peter Gallat 1.18 and tarried with him fifteene daies That going vp of S. Paul to Hierusalem to visit S. Peter was not of curiosity but of dutie and by the law of faith as a Tertul. de praescrip cap. 23. Paulus sicut ipse narrat ascendit Hierosolymam cognoscendi Petri causa ex officio turc scilicet eiusdem fidei praedicationis Tertullian taketh it S. Chrysostome b Chrysostomus superillum locum Vi les quemad â—odum illis tribuit congruentem honorem neque solum non ducit scipsum illis meliorem verum ne parem quidem esse putat id quod ex ipsa profectione liquet non dixit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quomodo loqui solent quiinvisunt magnas vrbes vel viros sanctos out of the Energie of the greeke word collecteth that it was to see and to visit Peter as a person of excellency and maiestie And vpon S. Iohns c Chrysost hom 87. in Ioannem Petrus os erat Apostolorum Princeps vertex ipsius coetus propterea Paulus eum preter alios visùrus ascendit simul vt ei ostenderet tam ei fiduciam habendam Gospell addeth another cause of that visit to have been to certifie Saint Peter of his extraordinary coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell that he might bee creditted of the Christians which Saint Ambrose confirmeth in these words It was meete d Ambros in 1 cap. ad Galatas Dignum fuit vt cuperet videre Petrum qui primus erat inter Apostolos cui delegauerat Saluator curam ecclesiarum non vtique vt aliquid ab eo disceret quia iam ab auctore didicerit à quo et ipse Petrus fuerat instructus sed propter affectum Apostolatus vt sciret Petrus illi datam licentiam quam ipse acceperat meete that Saint Paul should covett to see S. Peter who was the chief amonge the Apostles to whom our Saviour had comÌ„itted the charge of the churches Not that hee should learne any thing of him who had before been instructed of the same maister that S. Peter was but for the qualitie of his Apostleshipp and that S. Peter might know the same comission to bee giuen to S. Paul of preaching which hee had before receiued e Hieronimi Epla 89. Denique tantae authoritatis Petrus fuit vt Paulus in Epistola sua scripserit deinde post annos tres veni Hierosoliman videre Petrum c. S. Hierome saith to the same effect S. Peter was of so great authoritie that S. Paul writeth hee went to Ierusalem to visit him f Theodoret in 1. ad Galatas Et hoc rursus Pauli virtutem ostendit etenim cum humana doctrina non indigeret vt qui ab vniuersorum deo eam ante accepisset Apostolorum principi quem par est honorem tribuit Theodoret thus when S. Paul needed no instruction of men having been taught by the Lord of all hee nevertheles deferred that honor to the ptince of the Apostles which was due g Theophilactus ibidem Paulus ad Petrum abijt non vtilitatis gratia sed solo visendi studio honoranseum maiorem se notat ibidem verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significare cum obseruatione intueri Theophilact S. Paul desired to see S. Peter as a personage greater then himself and went vp with reuerence to behold him By the record of all these ancient fathers S. Paul went vp to Ierusalem to visit S. Peter as the prince of the Apostles and as the chief governor of the church to acquaint him with his extraordinarie vocation that having gotten his approbation hee might without contradiction bee receiued of all others Now to M. Abbots second argument which is yet worse then the former S. Iohn did honour to the seaven churches of Asia Apoc. 2. 3. writing to them and yet hee would never speake of the seaven hills of Rome but as of the seate of the whore of Babylon Ergo what you please a messe of plumme pottage if you will for this pleasant Iester rather then disputer hath this sophisme so much as the shadow of a sorie argument S. Iohn in the 2. and 3. chapters of the reuelations makes no mention of the church of
Romes supremacy Ergo there is no such matter in all the scripture M. Abbot blushing at the vglie shape of this ilfavoured argument to botch it out doth adde that by those seaven churches are figured the whole church of Christ and yet there is not a word in thē of the supremacie of the church of Rome I thinke well nor of thundreth matters moe that belonge to the christian religiō for these seaven short letters which S. Iohn writes to the seaven churches are contained within the compasse of three pages of one little leafe in octauo in their owne bible and can anie man bee so simple as to dreame that all the points of our faith are comprehended within them S. Iohn com̄ends the vertues reprehends the vices of those churches but doth treat of verie few points of doctrine and therfore no strange case if hee spake not of the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbots third argument the church of Rome hath a speciall caution given her not to presume vpon her stabilitie in the faith lest she fall Rom. 11.20 S. Paul saying to her Be not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed also lest hee spare not thee Behold the bountifulnes of God towards thee if thou continue in his boūtifulnes or els also thou shalt bee cut of Ergo what hee had neede to bee a cūning fletcher that could make either a bolt or a shaft of this fit for the purpose First here is nothing at all against the church of Romes supremacie nor yet anie certaine assertion against her stability in the received faith For here is aswell a promise of Gods bountifulnes towards them if they will do well as a threat against them if they do evill Againe all this is besides the cushion for though that Epistle bee to the Romanes yet S. Paul there doth expresly direct that discourse not to the Romanes in particuler but in generall to all the Gentiles beginning it thus for to you Gentils I say c. Ibid. v. 13 and goes on with a comparison betweene the Iewes and the Gentils so that nothing is more perspicuous then that the warning there given is not speciall to the Romans but generall to all Gentiles These loe bee the foregallāts shal I saie or rather the forlorne hope of M. Abbots terrible argumēts marshalled by himself in the forefrōt of his batlle to daūt the Enemy are wee not like thinke you to haue a hott skirmish of it where such drosse and refuse of arguments are thought worthie the first and best place but it were pittie that such a bad cause should bee burnished sett out with anie better M. Abbot having given such a mighty pushe at our position cometh to confute that I said to witt that it is deduced out of Gods word rightly vnderstood according to the interpretation of the ancient fathers that the church of Rome is that rock vpon which Christ built his church against which the gates of hell shall never prevaile To which M. Abbot as though he went about to choke dawes saies that I giue him chalke for cheese bicause I promised a deduction out of the word of God and in steed therof bring an exposition of the ancient fathers Marke gentle reader my words and then thou canst not but find M. Abbot to be an egregious wrangler for I performed that deduction which I promised out of Gods word naming the verie place out of which it is deduced but because I ioyned with it according vnto the exposition of ancient fathers hee like a man scarse well in his wits cries out that in steed of scriptures I bring in an exposition of the fathers when I do make mention of the fathers exposition not as the ground of my deduction but onlie for the true sense of those words of holy scripture out of which I do make the said collection The deduction in my former booke was verie briefe bicause I did there point onlie at the places of holie scriptures out of which it might bee gathered the question of the supremacy being there but touched by the way wherof M. Abbot takes advantage and saies that I am dumbe and can say no more because I will not bee like to him and out of season thrust forth long discourses of by questions I hauing also before written a whole chapter of the supremacy in my second part against M. Perkins where M. Abbot saw well enough that I could haue said here much more of the same matter if need had so required but such is his impudencie that he cares not what hee saie so hee maie make a shewe to his simple reader that hee hath canvased his aduersarie seeing that M. Abbot hath here hudled together verie much of that matter I will more at large sett downe these deductions and orderlie confirme each member therof The first fountaine out of which all the rest do flow as riuers is this The chief superiority in governmēt and authoritie of power over all the church was by our blessed Saviour given to S. Peter and to his successors vnto the end of the world but the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters successors therfore the Bishops of Rome have from our saviours grant and gift authority of power and superiority of goverment over all the church The maior of this argument is to bee deduced out of the word of God the minor being a matter of fact and that which hapned after S. Peters death to wit who was his successor shall haue sound proofe out of the most approved testimony of the best witnesses since that age All which being performed the conclusion that the Bishop of Rome hath supreme commaunding power over all the church must needs stand most assured That our blessed saviour gaue superiority of government to S. Peter vnder the metaphore of a rocke or foundation in building when he said Thou art Peter Math. 16 and vpon this rocke I will build my church Thus I proue Christ made Peter the rock or foundation of his church therfore he gaue to him the chiefest place of government in it for as the foundation is first placed and doth vphold all the rest of the building so he that is the foundation in the spirituall building of Christes church hath the chiefest place therin is to com̄and over all the rest To make this more perspicuous we must call to mind that amongest other titles and names of the church of God one is a house as the Apostle sheweth that thou maist knowe how to converse in the house of God 2. Tim. 3.15 which is the church and the faithfull are called by the same Apostle 1. Cor. 3.9 Ephes 4.12 the building of God Dei aedificatio estis Againe God gaue some Apostles some Doctors c. to the building vp of the bodie of Christ S. Paul as a wise Architect laid the foundation and others builded thervpon Now in that supernaturall and
assump suae Cum ego sim inuiolabilis Petrae ego lapis angularis qui facio vtraque vnum Tamen tu quoque Petra es quia mea virtute solidaris vt quae mihi potestate sâ—nt propria sint tibi mecum participatione communia yet thou Peter art also a rocke bicause that thou shalt bee made sound by my vertue these things which are proper to mee by power shall by participation bee comunicated to thee so that argument of M. Abbots is nothing worth for albeit our Saviour Christ bee the rocke in a farre more eminent and excellent manner as hee that vpholdeth all the church from the beginning of the world vnto the latter end and is by his owne merite and power vnmoueable yea hee is the builder of the same church and out of his side the same Church is builded as Eve was out of one of Adams ribbes yet it followeth not therof but that S. Peter maie bee the rocke chosen by Christ to bee his vicegerent chief governor of his Church vnder him by the soundnes of his faith made fitt to confirme all others that shall haue anie doubt ther about like as in the state of the old testament Notwithstanding Christ was the head corner stone therof yet there was one high priest that had vnder him supreme authoritie ouer all the rest and soveraigne power to determine all doubts arising about their lawe Albeit our Saviour bee the rocke vpon which the church is built in a most peereles manner yet that those words of his vpon this rocke I will build my church were not meant of himselfe but of S. Peter is most evident first by the vniforme consent of all the auncient fathers both Greeke and Latin before rehersed true it is that a Augustin l 1. retract c. 21 â—arum autem duarum sententiarum quae sit probabilior eligat lector S. Austin sometimes applies them both to Chr st and to S. Peter and leaues to the readers choise whether he will take which choise is easie to bee made when S. Augustin with all the rest before recited stand cleerly for S. Peter and hee alone maketh some doubt of it more ouer all the circumstances of the text bee on the other fathers side first the words next before are plainly addressed to S. Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church Againe in the language which our Saviour spake it is so cleere that there can bee no doubt of it for it is thou art Cephas that is a stone and vpon this stone I will build my church the verie same word without anie alteration being vsed in both places Besides these words contayne a reward bestowed vpon Saint Peter for the sincere confession of that high misterie of faith as the auncient fathers do testifie with S. Hierom vpon that place Hieron in c. 16. Math. Hilarius can 16. in Math. Confessio Petri praemium coÌ„secuta est Theophila in c. 16. Math. Maximus vbi supra Mercedem recepit vera confessio the true confession of S. Peter received due reward but it had been no recompense of Peters confession for Christ to haue built his church vpon himself doth it not in very coÌ„mon sense seeme verie harsh for our Saviour to pretend a great favour to Peter as to say to him Happy art thou Peter c And I saie to thee thou art Peter and in fine to fall from Peter to himself and saie vpon my self I will build my church Lastly the church being vnderstood to bee built vpon Peter the reason is declared why our Saviour changed the name Simon into Peter as if he had said I gave thee the name Peter that doth signifie a rocke because that vpon thee as vpon a rocke I will build my church As God said to Abraham thou shalt bee called Abraham that is say father of many people Quia patrem multarum Gentium constituite bicause I haue appointed thee the father of many nations All this by the waie to shew the true literall sence of that text to bee the verie same which the Orthodoxe fathers have vniformally deliuered M. Abbots second obiection against the fathers interpretation is this Christ built his church vpon the true faith and confession of Peter therfore not vpon Peter which doth not follow for the true faith and confession of Christ being in S. Peter if Christ built his church vpon them hee did withall ioinctly buile it vpon him in whom they were for the further explication of this difficultie it is to bee vnderstood that the church being a congregation of men it is to bee ruled by men who indeed are to be chosen rulers therof for the excellent qualities of faith constancy and charitie for example to rule the temporall state teÌ„porall Magistrates are chosen indued with wisdome Iustice fortitude and other vertues that make men fitt to governe but to speake properly not the vertues which bee accidentall qualities but the men so qualified bee governors A Iudge is chosen for his sound skill in the lawes for his vpright conscience in the administration of Iustice A Bishop for his deepe knowledg in Diuinitie for his wisdome in governing and holines of life yet not these vertues but those persons bee this the Iudge that the Bishop S. Peter for the soundnes of his faith and for the inuincible valour of his mind as a Basil ad cap. 2. 2. Esa S. Basil writeth and for the fervour of his charitie and devotion as b Ambr. serm 2. de sanctis S. Ambrose noteth was by our Saviour chosen to bee the supreme pastor of his church and chief Governor in Ecclesiasticall affaires which is the same in effect that c Chris hom 56. in Matth. S. Chrisostome and d Theod. in cant l. 2. Theodorete by M. Abbot alleaged do saie vpon this faith and confession that is in respect of those vertues which were eminent in S. Peter I build my church on him for they both do teach the church to be builded vpoÌ„ S. Peter but would haue vs to knowe that that great dignity was not bestowed on him vpon meere affection to his person but in regard of those his excellent and worthy qualities whence it doth not follow that whosoever hath the like qualities shall haue the same dignitie vnles they also bee thervnto lawfullie called and chosen as S. Peter was by our Saviour No more then it doth follow that all they shal be made Bishops or Iudges who haue the vertues requisite for Bishops and Iudges Now to that taken out of e Ambr. ad Ephes cap. 2. S. Ambrose vpon this rocke will I build my church that is in this confession of the Catholike faith will I establish the faithfull to life I answere first that M. Abbot hath clipped of the former part of S. Ambrose wordes in which hee saith that our Saviour did declare S. Peter to bee the foundation of his church in that he built his
1. Reg li. 6. cap. 3. Gregorie yea and S. Gregorie speaking of another matter thus that which never was said to them of the old testament is now said to the vniversall church whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth which sheweth some difference between the old and new testament but nothing coÌ„cerneth these wordes of Christ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church which is another kind of matter then that whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth c. Againe is M. Abbot so simple as to thinke that the power of binding loosing is giuen to every particuler member af the church can women and Children bind and loose all a like perhaps in the protestants church but it is not so with vs. yet that power maie bee said to bee given to the whole church because it is given to the benefitt of the whole though the charge and administration therof be not committed and giuen to all and everie person in the church But to returne to S. Austin he saith Aug de ver Dominiser 13. that the name Peter was given to him that by that figure hee might signifie the church bicause Christ is petra the rocke therfore Peter is the people of Christ So M. Abbot well let all this bee true what is this allegoricall interpretation of the name of Peter to our present purpose It cannot bee but a great honor to Saint Peter to haue had a name given him by our Saviour derived out of his owne name and that maie represent the people of Christ and further which followeth in that place of S. Austin though M. Abbot thought it policie to suppresse it Apostolorum principatum tenens S. Peter held the principalitie amoÌ„g the Apostles all this maketh much for S. Peters preheminence but doth it follow thervpon that nothing which Christ said to S. Peter doth properlie appertaine to him but all is to bee imparted to all Christian people how absurd were it to vnderstand so iudicious a Doctors words as S. Austin was after that childish manner thou art Peter that is after this new glosse all my people and vpon this rocke which containes also all Christes people I will build my church so that the sence after M. Abbots exposition must bee Christ did build all his people vpon all his people One might verie well bee chosen out of the rest as a foundation vpon whom Christ might lay all the rest but how all the people should bee built vpon all the people passeth I think all vnderstanding Epistola 165. But S. Austin elswhere saith M. Abbot hath these words to S. Peter bearing the figure of the whole church our lord said vpon this rocke c. bee it so that S. Peter bare the person of the church that doth not hinder the words to bee spoken to him effectuallie but rather argueth him to bee the chief governor of the church Aug. in Psal 108. câ—cione 1. as the same saint in the like places doth expresse in this manner Cuius Ecclesiae ille agnoscitur in figura gestasse personam propter primatum quem in discipulis habuit the person of which church Peter is acknowledged in figure to haue represented by reason of the primacie that hee had among the disciples And yet more plainly in another place thus Aug. Quaest ex nouo testam quaest 75 Saluator cum pro se Petro dari iubet pro omnibus â—xoluisse videtur quia sicut in domino erant omnes causa magisterij ita post Saluatorem in Petro omnes continentur Ipsum enim constituit esse caput eorum vt pastor esset gregis dominici when our Saviour commaunded tribute to bee paid for himself and for Peter hee seemeth to haue paid for all for like as in our Saviour there were all the partes of a maister so after him all were contained in Peter for hee coÌ„stituted Peter head of the rest that hee might bee the pastor of our lords flocke By which words of S. Austin wee gather that S. Peter sometimes did represent the whole church because he was head and chief pastor therof as a king doth in some cases represent a kingdome which is so for of from disproouing S. Peters supremacy that hence wee maie take a strong argument to prooue it and withall the propagation therof to his successors for we are taught out of these wordes of S. Austen to say that S. Peter maie bee considered either as a priuate person or as a publike magistrate that which pleased our Saviour to bestow vpon him as a private person was proper to himself and continued no longer then hee liued but that which Christ bestowed vpon S. Peter as a publike magistrate that was granted to the whole church and was to continue with the church to the worlds end like as that which is granted to a king as a publike person is holden as annexed to the Crowne and to descend alwaies after to all his successors now to our purpose S. Austin when hee said that that prerogatiue was giuen to S. Peter as representing the whole church doth not deny it to bee given him trulie and actually but doth signifie that it was given him not for his owne proper vse but for the benefitt of the whole church and therfore giuen in remainder for ever vnto his successors which was in the fullest and best sort that could bee Having thus answered all M. Abbots obiections and declared how S. Peter is the speciall rock vpoÌ„ which our Saviour built his church and how the other Apostles and everie constant ChristiaÌ„ may bee called rockes one truth not destroying but rather fortifieing the other I now come to cleere that imputation of dishonestie which M. Abbot would with no great honestie haue cast on mee I did affirme that it might bee deduced out of the ancient fathers that the Bishop or sea of Rome was that rocke vpon which the church was builded M. Abbot was bold to saie that I belied the fathers therin and doth avouch peremptorilie that never anie of them so vnderstood these words of our Saviour well let vs see whether of vs is like to prove the honester man of his word I do heere omitt the manifold deductions in this Chapter before mentioned and will add one more out of Saint Austins words by M. Abbot himself last before cited thus whatsoever was said to S. Peter as representing the person of the church is taken to bee said to all his successors as before hath been declared but those words of Christe vpon this rocke I will build my church were spoken to S. Perer as representing the person of the church by the verdit of S. Austin approved by M. Abbot himself therfore these verie words are to bee vnderstood as spoken vnto all S. Peters successors who being the Bishops of Rome as in due place shal bee proved it followeth evidentlie that the Bishops or church of Rome for I take both them for the same
thing in this matter is that rocke vpon which Christ built his church Is not this deduction plaine enough But what will you say if the same most Autentike Doctor do in expresse tearmes affirme the church of Rome to bee that self same rocke then all the world maie see that to bee most apparantly true which I said And M. Abbot must needes confesse that hee ouershot himself verie grosly These bee S. Austins owne words come my brethren if you please August in Psalco partem donati Venite fratres si vultis vt inseramini in vite dolor est cum vos videmus praecisos ita iacere Numerate Sacerdotes ab ipsa Petri sede in ordine illo patrum quiâ— cui successit videre ipsa est petra quaÌ„ non vincunt superba inferorum porta and bee graffed in the vine It grieveth vs to behold you lying so cutt of Recken the priests even from the seate of Peter and in that rew of fathers regard to whom who succeeded that seate is the rocke which the proud gates of hell do not overcome The seat of Peter and succession of Bishopâ— of Rome is that rock in S. Austins iudgment against which hell gates shall not prevaile was not that the verie same rocke vpon which Christ built his church S. Hierom was another most learned Doctor of the ancient church Hier. Epist 57. ad Damasum Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tua id est Cathedra Petri communione consocior super illam petram aedificatain ecclesiam scio as all the learned know hee testifieth the same most plainly in these words vnto Damasus then Bishop of Rome I following none as chief but Christ am in communion associated vnto your holines that is vnto the chaire of Peter vpon this rocke I know the church of Christ to bee builded Lo S. Hierom knew and confessed S. Peters chaire in which Damasus the pope then sate to bee the same rocke vpon which Christ built his church Pope Iulius the first was yet a more ancient and a verie holie and grave father hee teacheth the same plainlie in these words Ex Iulij increpatoria ad Orientales Ipsa Romana sedes omnibus maior praelata est ecclesijs quae non solum Canonum sanctorum patrum decretis sed D. Saluatoris nostri voce singularem obtinuit principatum Tu es inquit Petrus super hanc petram adificabo ecclesiam meam The sea of Rome is preferred before all churches which not only by decrees of Canons and holie fathers hath obtained that singuler principalitie but by the voice of our lord when hee said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church If the church of Rome by these words of our Saviour vpon this rock I will build my church were preferred before all others as that graue holie prelate teacheth then must it needes follow that the church of Rome was the rock vpon which Christ built his church Damasus was also a very ancient holy Ex Epistola 4. B Damasi ad Stephanum Epist Concilia Aftiâ—ae Scitis fratres dilectiss firmamentum à deo fixum immobile atque titulum lucidissimum suorum sacerdotum id est omnium Episcoporum Apostolicam sedem esse constitutam verticem Ecclesiarum Tu es enim sicut diuinum pronuntiat verbum Petrus super hanc petram adâ—ficabo Ecclesiam meam and learned Prelate he writeth in this sort you know most beloued brethren the Apostolik see of Rome to be constituted by God a fixed and vnmoueable firmament a most bright title of all byshops and topp of churches euen as the word of God doth pronunce saying thou art Peter and vpon this rock I will build my church he then also took and expounded those words of Christ to appertaine vnto the see of Rome The testimonie of these fewe ancient renowmed fathers is more then sufficient to iustifie what I said and to assure the vpright readers that some of the ancient fathers did interprete the church of Rome to bee that rock vpon which our Saviour built his church wherby they maie see how vnciuilly M. Abbot dealt with mee having no other ground for it then his owne ignorance coopled with audaciousnes Bicause M. Abbot doth in this paragraff thrust in here and there manie broken sentences out of the fathers against the supreme authoritie of the Bishop of Rome I hold it convenient to fortifie the same with some select testimonies of the best renowmed prelates of the Greeke and Easterne churches for if they whom it concerned most to stand for the dignitie and prerogatiues of their owne churches being the greatest personages in that part of the world which was farthest of from Rome do neuertheles acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to haue had in the time of pure antiquitie commanding authoritie and power over themselues and their churches then no vnpartiall and vpright mind can doubt but that the church of Rome alwaies hath had or should haue had authoritie of power and superioritie in goverment over all other churches of the world Athanasius one of the prime Doctors of the Greeke church both for holynes of life greatnes of learning soundnes of faith and by his place patriarch of Alexandria which was the highest seat in the easterne coasts This most reverend Archbishop and renowmed Champion of Christs church being grievously persecuted by the Arrian heretikes and verie iniuriously thrust out of his Bishoprike by their meanes made his recourse vnto Iulius then pope of Rome and besought him to call his aduersaries being also Easterne Bishops to Rome to answer there for those wrongs that they had done him by which fact of his he acknowledged most perspicuously the church of Rome to haue power and authoritie over Easterne Bishops to determine their ecclesiasticall causes Thus it standes of record in the Ecclesiasticall history Athanasius flying from AlexaÌ„dria went to Rome Zozomen lib. 3. histor cap. 7. Athanasius autem fugiens Alexandria Romam venit codem tempore Paulus etiam Constantinopolitanus Episcopus forte illuâ— accessit Marcellus quoque Episcopus Anciroe Azelopus Gazae c. Lucius Adrianopoli Quorum criminationes cum Episcopus Romanus intellexisset omnes fidei Concilij Nicenâ— consentientes reperisset in communionem recepit Ac cum propter sedu dignitatem cura omnium ad cum spectaret singulis suam Ecclesiam restituit scripsitque ad Episcopos Orientis cosque incusavit quod inconsulto de his viris iudicassent deditque mandatum vt quidam illorum nomine ad diem constitutum accederent qui etiam minatus est se de reliquo non passurum eos invltos nisi novis rebuâ— studere desisterent Paulus Bishop of Constantinople another great sea of the Greeke church was also fled thither for succour and diuers other Bishops of the said Easterne church whose accusations when the Bishop of Rome had heard
finding these Bishops conformable to the faith of the Nicene councell of which Athanasius had been a principall piller hee admitted them into communion of all spirituall matters And wheras by the dignitie of his sea the charge of all persons did apperteine vnto him hee restored them backe to their Bishoprickes And did write vnto the Bishops of the east blaming them for that they had vnaduisedly iudged of those personages and sent them a mandate that some of them should appeare at a certaine day in the name of the rest who also threatned that he would not afterward let them passe vnpunished if they gaue not ouer to molest others Is not heere plaine proofe of the Bishop of Rome his power and commaunding authoritie ouer the greatest Bishops in the east They appealed vnto him for iudgment hee heard their causes hee reversed the sentences given against them by the Bishops of the east hee finallie restored againe their Bishopricks vnto them cited the others to appeare before him and theatned to punish them if they continued in their ill doeing Hosius ad Imperator Constantium Citatus ab Athanas epist ad solit vitam agentes Ne te misceas Ecclesiasticis neque nobis in hoc genere praecipe sed potius ea à nobis disce tibi Deus imperium coÌ„misit nobis quae sunt Ecclesiae concredidit quemadmodum qui tuum imperium malignis oâ—ulis carpit contradicit ordinationi divinae Ita tu cave ne quae sunt ecclesiae ad te trahens magno crimini obnoxius fiaâ— The same is also witnessed by Athanasius himself in his epistle to them that lead a solitarie life and in his second Apologie where hee doth relate the whole busines and teacheth expresly that it did not belonge to CoÌ„stantius then Emperour to determine ecclesiasticall causes but that he ought to learne them of Bishops To Athanasius I will ioyne Cirillus bicause hee was patriarch of the same sea of Alexandria Cirillus epist 18 ad CelestinuÌ„ and as learned and valiant a maintayner of the third generall councell held at Ephesus as Athanasius had been of the first kept at Nice Extat Tomo 1. Concil Ephes cap 29. This most learned Archbishop confesseth the like commanding power to haue been in Celestinus then pope of Rome that thother did before in Iulius Quoniam vero deus hiscâ— in rebus prudentiam à nobis exigit long aque ecclesiarum consuetudo suadet vt istiusmodi sanctitati tuae communiceÌ„tur non possum equidem quod apertum est ad pietatem non perscribere post malefacta exposita subiungit Et quamvis res ita se habeat non prius tamen illius communionem confidenter deserere ausi fuimus quam haec ipsa pâ—etati tuae indicaremus Digneris proinde quid hic sentias declâ—rare quo liquido nobis constet communicare ne nos cum illo oporteat an vero libere eidem denunciare neminem cum eo communicarâ— qui eiusmodi Erroneam doctrinam fovet praedicat Porro tâ—a integritatis mens ac super hac re sententia non modo pijssimis Macedoniae Epistopis sed totius quoque Orientis Antistibus perspicue per literas exponi debet Thus hee writeth to him Bicause in busines of this nature God requireth of vs wisdome and the long continued custome of the church doth admonish vs to communicate them with your holines I cannot but giue your pietie to vnderstand what is here discouered of Nestorius Bishop then of Constantinople whose foule crimes and pestilent errours when hee had laid open and certified how hee had done his endevour to move him to repentance but all in vaine hee afterward addeth Albeit these things bee soe yet wee durst not forbeare communicating with him before wee had related these things to your pietie Vouchsafe therfore to declare what you deeme to bee done therin that wee may assuredly know whether wee ought to communicate with Nestorius or els boldlâ—e denounce that no man ought to communicate with him that doth dâ—fend such erronious doctrine your holines good pleasure and sentence in this matter is to bee notified not onlie to the Bishops of Macedonia but vnto all the prelates of the east Behold the maÌ„ner of proceeding in these pure times of the church S. Cirill who for learning was perhaps better able then Celestinus to iudge of the errour of Nestorius and being patriarch of Alexandria by his place held the highest court of Iudgment in the east church Celestin Papa Cyrillo Archiepiscopo habetureodem Tomo 1. Concil Ephes cap. 16. yet would hee not take vpon himself to determine of Nestorius heresies or to excommunicate him but referred both vnto the Bishop of Rome whose sentence therin both hee and all the Bishops of the east did require and embrace In this manner did the same pope Celestinus returne answere vnto S. Cirill Most Reverend brother do you take vnto you our authoritie Quamobrem nostra autoritate ascita nostráque vice loco cum potestate vsus eiusmodi non absque exquisita severitate sententiam exequeru nempe vt nisi à decem dierum intervallo ab huius nostrae admonâ—tionis die numerandorum nefariam doctrinam suam conceptis verbis anathematizeâ— eamque de Christi dei nostri â—eneratione fidem in posterum confessurum se spondeat quam Romana tuae sanctitatu ecclesia vniuersa denique religio Christiana praedicat illico sanctitas tua illi ecclesiae prospiciat and vsing our power and place do you execute against Nestorius the sentence of excommunication with exquisite severitie vnles within ten daies after hee hath been admonished from vs hee do recant and recall his errours and let your holines provide a more worthy person for that Bishoprike which mandate of his Cirillus with the whole couÌ„cell following proceeded to the deposition of Nestorius in this maÌ„ner No man doth doubt Tomo secundo eiusdem Concil Ephes cap. 16. Nulli dubium imo seculis omnibus nâ—tum est sanctum beatissimumque Petrum Apostolorum principem caput fideâ—que columnam ecclesiae Catholicae fundamentum à Domino nostro Iesu Christo caelestis regni claues accepisse solvendique atque ligandi potestate quam acceperat vsum fuisse necnon per successores suos huc vsque semper vivere causas decernere semperque victurum esse Huius itaque ordinarius successor vicarius sanctus beatissimusque papa Episcopus noster Celestinus nos suos pro se quasi vicarios misit c. Et hac est praefatio sententia Nos canonum vi sanctissimi que patris comministri nostri Celestini ecclesia Romanae Antistitis epistola compulsi hanc tristem in illam sententiaÌ„ tulimus naie it hath been in all ages notorious that the most blessed S. Peter priÌ„ce head of the Apostles the pillar of faith and foundation of the Catholike church did receive of our Saviour Iesus Christ
in all such cases and causes that do belong to the supreame governors court and cognizance in as large and ample manner as S. Peter had before enioyed and died posessed of this being a matter depending vpon common equity and daily practise doth require no other proofe nor can haue anie better then the aknowledgment of all the Orthodox and most eminent christian prelates of both Latin and Greeke east and west churches which I haue before pleÌ„tifully produced and wheÌ„ more need shal bee will yet produce more 17 M. Abbot admitting as I said the pope of Rome to bee S. Peters successor yet argueth that they may faile in faith bicause Caiphas did succeed lineally to Aaron yet Caiphas gaue senteÌ„ce against Christ further hee alleageth that seÌ„tence out of the law All are not the children of Saints that hold the places of saints but they that practise the workes of saints M. Abbot foreseeing that wee would answere that many successors though not so holy iust and wise as their predecessors were yet haue the same authoritie and Iurisdiction over their floc k which their predecessors had And albeit they may comitt some fault vnworthy their calling yet they do not therby leese the dignitie of their place And that namely our Saviour had praied for S. Peter that his faith should not faile but that hee not withstanding his owne frailty should haue strength from God through the vertue of Christs praier to confirme his brethren in the true faith This M. Abbot foreseeing doth acknowledg it to bee true yet that hee may not bee thought to have nothing more to saie doth aske vs with Austin as hee speaketh Did hee praie for Peter and did hee not praie for Iames and Iohn to saie nothing of the rest it is manifest that in Peter they all are contayned and praying for Peter hee is knowne to praie for them all All this is true but not against any thing that wee saie for it being granted that our Saviour made manie good praiers for all his Disciples doth it follow therof that his praier made for the preservation of Saint Peters faith was not heard nay rather doth it not thervpon most evidentlie ensue out of M. Abbots owne discourse which is that everie one of the elect obtaineth that without faile which Christ praied for in their names that Christ his praier made for S. Peter obtayned for him that his faith should never faile But M. Abbot like an ill Alhymist would faine distill out of those words of S. Austin that Peter by that praier had no priviledg aboue the rest which is both coÌ„trarie to the expresse words of our Saviour who doth distinguish Peter from the rest and to him apart did speake those wordes Luca 22. Behold saith our Saviour Satan hath desired to sift you that was all the Apostles to whom those words were spoken but I haue praied for thee Peter see how particularly hee commeth to him that thy faith do not faile and thou Peter once conuerted strengthen thy brethren M. Abbots collection is also against S. Austin himself for though S. Austin do saie that in praying for Peter hee praied for them all his meaning is not that hee praied that every one of them in particuler might receiue the same gift which was bestowed on S. Peter but that Christ in praying that Peters faith might not faile that hee also might haue strength to confirme his brethren may bee truly said to haue praied for them all because they were to rely vpon the stability of Peters faith and to receiue comfort from him wherfore they being assured that Peters faith should not faile they ioyning in faith with him were also assured that they should not faile August quaest noui testa q. 75. And this to bee S. Austins meaning the words following in the very same sentence which M. Abbot did guilefully clipp of do manifestly shew In praying for Peter Quid ambigitur pro Petro rogabat â—ro Iacobo Ioanne non rogabat vt caeteros taceam manifestum est in Petro omnes contineri rogans enim pro Petro pro omnibus rogasse dignoscitur semper enim in praeposito populus aut corripitur aut laudatur Christ praied for them all for that alwaies in the Governour the people are either corrected or praised So that hee praied for them not in particuler but as they were contained in their president Saint Peter Out of which so farr of is it that thence can bee gathered as M. Abbot did that Peter had not anie priuiledg aboue the rest of the Apostles that it followeth cleerly in S. Austins Iudgment that hee was president and head of that colledg of the Apostles 18 M. Abbot being amazed at this point of succession and not knowing well what to saie to it makes a stand and admitting Christ to haue meant some singuler favour to Peter doth aske by what art I can deriue the effect of Christs praier from Peter to the popes from an holie Apostle to a ranke and succession of men amongest whom there haue been so manie Atheists Infidels Idolaters Heriticks and so manie incarnate Devills and hatefull monsters of mankind This foule troubled floud of his currish eloquence I omitt as vnciuill To the matter I haue alreadie answered that it verie much concerned the perpetuall puritie vnitie of Christs church that the effect of our Saviours holy praier should not bee closed vp with S. Peters life but bee continued to the worlds end that there might bee alwaies in the church one liuing visible and certaine Oracle to coÌ„sult in all doubtfull questions which should arise And one supreme governor to confirme the weake to correct the proud and to hold all in one vniforme order of perfect discipline which to haue been S. Peters successors the Bishops of Rome Christs institution ioyned with the ordinarie manner of proceeding of the vniuersall church from the purest antiquity doth testify as hath been declared And wheras M. Abbot doth demaund of mee by what art I can deriue the effect of Christs praier from Peter vnto a succession of men I might better aske of him what ignorance oppressed him when hee could not vnderstand that that which was graÌ„ted to one man might not as well bee graunted to another man and so continued from one to another to the worlds end But saith hee Peter was an holy Apostle and the others were sinfull creatures Be it so Did not M. Abbot himself immediatly before confesse that evill men might bee lawfull successors even vnto Saints as Caiphas was to Aaron And here as though hee had cleane forgotten himself doth seeme to woonder ar my art that would make evill Bishops of Rome Successors to good S. Peter how can a man of discretion rely vpon anie thing M. Abbot saies when hee findeth him so contrarie to himself within the compasse of so few lynes yet it is well knowne to all the learned that exceeding manie Bishops of
vniforme in holie rites and māners should establish some one at the least to resolue infallibly all the rest in all doubtfull questions that should arise amōg them which he forsaw would be almost innumerable And to endow him with sufficient power and authority to kepe all the rest in order and due obedience This is that which wee maintaine he did for S. Peter and his successors the Bishops of Rome having his owne expresse word for our warrant being vnderstood according vnto the learned exposition and prudent practise of the most ancient holy pastors and prelates of Christs church as hath been before declared Thus much to shew how vnsoundly M. Abbot interpreteth that text of holy scripture and how vnproperly and feebly hee seeketh to shift from the most literall and vniforme exposition of the ancient Doctors Now I come to examine the exceptions that hee taketh against some sentēces that I alleaged out of the said holy fathers to the same purpose My first and principall author was the most learned and holie Archbishop of Lions S. Ireneus who with his blood sealed his doctrine 1400 yeares agoe Hee teacheth plainly that the Roman church is the greatest and most autentike and that hee and others by alleaging the traditions which the Apostles had lest to that church and their faith by succession of Bishops descending downe to his daies did confound and put to shame all wranglers who either of ignorance vaine glorie or envy did teach otherwise then they should haue done And for an vpshott addeth this reason which I did before cite to prove that wee must all ioyne in matter of faith with the church of Rome to witt For it is necessarie that everie church that is all the faith full everie where do agree with the church of Rome Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Sed quoniam valde longum est in hoc tali volumine omnium ecclesiarum enumerare successiones maximae antiquissima omnibus cognitae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo Roma fundata constituta ecclesiae eam quam habet ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones Episcoporum pervenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui quoqu◠modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam praeter quam oportet colligunt Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles in qua semper ab his qui sunt vndique conservata est ea quae est ab Apostolis traditio for her more mightie principalitie Bicause in it the traditions which descended from the Apostles hath been alwaies preserved round about Note first a most cleere proofe of that for which I cited it to witt that everie church yea everie faithfull man must not of curtesie but of necessitie accord with the church of Rome in matter of faith and religion Bicause in it as in a rich treasurie that doctrine which the Apostles taught is kept whole and sound to which M. Abbot saith that if wee take the reason added by Irenaeus but concealed by mee it will plainly appeare why it was necessarie for the other churshes to accord with the church of Rome for this church saith he for the renowme of the place being then the seat of the Empire was the most eminent church of the world I answere that I concealed nothing And this reason added by M. Abbot is wholie mistaken for there is no mention in Irenaeus of either the Emperors power or seate for that mighty principality is proper to the church of Rome for her spirituall dignitie And it is most absurd to thinke that the church of Rome in those ancient daies of S. Irenaeus when the Emperours were most deadly ennemies of the Christian name gott any reputation with other churches by the worldly renowme of those persecuting Emperors who raigned there for that their wicked glorie was rather a whetstone to hatred and contempt then anie allurement to loue and estimation This great respect then being borne vnto the church of Rome before the Emperors of Rome were converted to be Christians is a most manifest argument that the principality of the church of Rome was not gotten by the renowme of that city nor by the glorie of these heathen peesecuting Emperors but for that the best learned and most holie prelats of all countries were taught by the Apostles and their schollers that it was our blessed Saviours pleasure and ordinance that such regard and obediēce should bee yeelded vnto the church of Rome were the Emperors therof heathens or Christians good or bad It was in deed verie convenient that the prince of the Apostles and head of Christs church should be there seated where the Monarch of the temporall estate held his court to the intent that impietie being there crushed as it were in the head might the sooner decaie all the bodie over And true godlines being happely planted in the cheif place might with more facility and speed bee spred in all other nations and also that mē might bee more easily induced to yeeld religious obedience to the Bishop of that place vnto whose tēporall magistrates the whole world before had obeied in temporall affaires But this is to bee attibuted to our Saviours devine wisdome order institution Not vnto the greatnes or worldlie pollicie of anie earthly Emperors M. Abbot seing little hold to bee taken vpon the renowme of that place as the state of things went then doth acknowledg that in those daies the church of Rome was pure sound therfore fitt to be propounded as a patterne for other churches to imitate But now the case is altered as he saith bicause the church of Rome it self is now questioned for swarving from the tradition of the Apostles which being soe that cannot be said to bee necessarie now which was necessarie then This answer hath as litle solidity in it as the other For the church of Rome it self was as well chalenged in those daies for swarving from the Apostles tradition by the Mōtanists Marcionists and such like Heretikes as now by the Lutherans Calvinists and Anabaptists And neuertheles the renowmed prelates of Christs church and most firme pillers of our Christian religion did then teach all Christians to make their recourse vnto the same church for resolution of the true faith wishing them to conforme themselues therto and by avouching boldlie that doctrine which they found there maintained to confound all them that taught the contrary as yee haue heard out of Irenaeus Let vs therfore as kind children treading in the right steps of those our most laudable forfathers seeke with them vnto that same church of Rome for the veritie of that doctrine which descended from the Apostles imbrace it most willingly and professe it as constantlie though we heare our holie mother to be
called into question by vntowardlie and degenerous Children that either wilfullie run out of her house to follow their owne pleasure and fancies or are for pure feare falne away from her and forsaken her ordinances M. Abbot admitting as it were that other churches should according to S. Irenaeus rule conforme themselues in matter of doctrine to the church of Rome yet to giue vs a tast of the subtility of his shifting witt addeth that ther is in that place of Irenaeus nothing for her superiority in goverment well that being once granted that all other churches should for matter of doctrine accord with the church of Rome it would theron necessarily follow that the church of England and consequently his maiestie ought to do the same which was all that I sued for yet over and besides Irenaeus words being well weighed do import also a superiority in goverment to be resident in that church which I proue bicause he saies that other churches must of necessity accord with the church of Rome for her more poteÌ„t principality Now if the church of Rome haue power and principality over other churches And do impose a necessitie vpon them of according vnto it it must needes haue superiority in goverment over them or els the other could not be bound of necessitie to follow it M. Abbot doth grammatically descant first vpon this word principalitie and saies that it may signâ—fie eminencie in estimation though not superioritie in goverment And that it maie bee potent also to move by example and perswasion only not by commaundement Be it so that these words maie be wrested into some such signification as what words be there that may not be diuerslie construed yet everie reasonable man will soone see that power and principalitie do properly import a commaunding superiority And will as easily graunt that the fathers words are rather to be fairly taken according to the more vsuall signification then in anie such forced sense and construction Againe seing that power and superioritie did even as S. Irenaeus expresseth impose a necessitie vpon others of conforming themselues to the church of Rome it could not bee that imagined superioritie of M. Abbots which imposeth no such necessitie wherfore it remaines evident that M. Abbot is driuen to flie from the vsuall signification true meaning of S. Irenaeus words In like manner M. Abbot to cast some better colour vpon his new devised principalitie or rather to shift over into another matter that seemes more plausible writeth thus 20 That M. Bishop may vnderstand I do not answere him by a deuise of mine Cypr. l. 1. Epist 3. but according to the truth hee shall find that Ciprian calleth the chuâ—ch of Rome the princ pall church and yet in the same place he denieth the authority of the Bishops in Africa to be inferiour vnto the Bishops of Rome M. Abbot and other Protestants cannot choose but stand in bodily feare so often as they appeale vnto the ancient fathers for support of their novelties for you shall scarse find any one of them that doth not in the verie place alledged by the Protestants giue them such a bob that everie beholder maie plainly see they do not favour their cause nor are content to be called in for their witnesses Let S. Cyprian now cited by M. Abbot serve for an example This is the sentence out of which M. Abbot picked the former words Cypr. l. 1. Epist 3. iuxta pamel Epist 55. Post ista adhuc insuper pseudo-Episcopo sibi ab haereticis constituto nauigare audent ad Petri cathedram atque ad EcclesiaÌ„ principalem vnde vnitas sacerdotalis â—rta est a schismaticis profanis litteras ferre nec cogitare eos esse Romanos quorum fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est ad quos perfidia habere non posset accessum After those things and more also after a false Bishop appointed them by Heretiks they dare saile to the chaire of Peter and vnto the principall church whence priestlie vnity hath its beginning and carrie letters from schismatikes and prophane fellowes not remembring that such are the Romanes whose faith is praised by the Apostles voice vnto whom perfidie can haue no accesse I set downe the whole passage because by and by we must treate of the later part therof as well as now of the former where is sufficientlie declared that S. Ciprian tooke the church of Rome to be principall not onlie in estimation but in order of goverment which I proue First because hee affirmes the church of Rome to be S. Peters chaire and consequently to be endued with like authoritie that S. Peter enioyed vpon whom as S. Ciprian in twentie places avoucheth the church of Christ was builded Secondly he describes it to be that principall church which is the fountaine of priestly and ecclesiasticall vnitie which could not be vnles it had power and authoritie to compell all other churches to stand to her order and therby to hold all in vnitie of faith and vniformity of religioÌ„ For as all the world now seeth there neither is nor can bee in mans iudgment any vnitie in faith or religious rites among Protestants bicause there is no one soveraigne coÌ„mauÌ„der over them all indued with authoritie to coÌ„pell the rest to agree in one And in the self same Epistle S. Cip. coÌ„firmeth this verie poiÌ„t in these memorable words Heresies haue not risen Cyprian ibidem Neque enim aliunde haereses orta sunt aut nata sunt schismata quam inde quod sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur nec vnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus iudex vico Christi cogitatur nor schismes sprong from any other roote then for that obedience is not yeelded to one priest and for that one priest for the time and one Iugde is not accepted of in Christs steed Do you see by S. Cyprians sentence that the only way to root out heresies and to accord schismes is to acknowledg one priest for soveraigne Iudge in ecclesiasticall cases and to obey him as Christs vicegerent on earth Such a soveraigne Iudge is hee that sits in S. Peters chaire and that principall church of Rome by S. Ciprians owne assertion in the former period or els Ecclesiasticall Discipline could not draw its originall vnitie thence Thus much here to prove that the principall church in that place of S. Ciprian is to be taken for the principall in authoritie and goverment Now to the other part S. CipriaÌ„ denieth not the Bishops in Africa to be inferior vnto the Bishop of Rome but blameth such troublesome fellowes that would not rest quiet and content with their owne Bishops iudgment but flie abroad to molest others with their brawles as though their owne Bishops had not sufficient authority or witt to compose and end their quarrells at home S. Ciprian supposeth that their churches in Afrike had no less authority then others churches to order such matters but neither names the
other reuerend Bishops not acquainting you with that matter wheras the iudgment of Bishops and finall determinatioÌ„ of their principall causes by the decrees of our fathers doth in honor of blessed S. Peter belong vnto your sea Is not this a most plaine aknowledgment of the Bishop of Romes commanding authoritie ouer the churches of Afrike And because no exception can be iustly taken either against pope Damasus learning and integritie or against his writings whose secretary somtimes was S. Hierome I will set downe his answer vnto the said African Bishop These bee his words Ex Epistola 4. damasi ad eundem Stephanum ad concilia Africae Nos qui supra domum eius hoc est vniuersalem ecclesiam Catholicam Episcopale suscepimus ministerium solicite vigilare de bemus etc scitis fatres dilectissimi firmamentum a deo fixum immobile atque titulum lucidissimum suorum sacerdotum id est omnium episcorum Apostolicam sedem esse constitutam verticem ecclesiarum Tu es enim sicut diuinum pronunciat verbum veraciter Petrus c cuius vice dei gratia hodie fungimur ideo omnia quae innotuistis non licere mandarem nisi vos tam plene instructos scirem quod cuncta super quibus consuluistis illicita esse non dubitetis discutere namque episcopos summas ecclesiasticorum negotiorum causas metrapolitano vna cum comprouincialibus licet sed definire ecclesiasticarum summas querelas causarum vel damnare episcopos absque huius sanctae sedis auctoritate minime licet ad quam omnes appellare si necesse fuerit eius fulcire auxilio oportet It behoveth vs that haue receiued Episcopall charge ouer the house of our lord that is the vniuersall church to watch carfully that nothing which belonges to that function be wanting c. you most beloued brother do know the sea Apostolike constituted of God an vnmoueable fortresse and the head of all churches which he proues by our Saviours words Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church averring the Bishops of Rome to be S. Peters successors and Christs vicars and at length saith That it is lawfull for Metropolitans to heare and discuss the causes of Bishops their suffragans but vnlawfull to determin them finallie without the authoritie of the sea of Rome vnto which it was lawfull for all Bishops to appeale when need required and there to find reliefe I come now to some other councells that were held in Africk immediatly before that African in which were present most of the same prelates The councell holden at Mileuitan writeth to Innocentius the first who was pope next before Zozimus to whom succeeded Bonifacius and Celestinus in this manner Bicause our lord of his speciall grace hath placed you in the sea Apostolike and hath afforded you such a one in our times Ex Epist 92. inter ep D. Aug. Quia te Dominus gratiae suae precipuo munere in sede Apostolica collocauit talemque nostris teÌ„poribus praestitit vt nobis potius ad culpam negligentia valeat si apud tuam venerationem quae pro Ecclesia suggerenda sunt tacâ—erimus quam ea tu pos is vel fastidiose vel negligenter accipere magnis periculis infirmorum membrorum Christi pastoralem diligentiam quaesvmus aâ—hibere digneris c. Multo plures qui eius sensuo diligentius indagare potuerunt aduersus euÌ„ progratia Christi et Catholicae fidei veritate confliguÌ„t praecipue sanctus filius tuus frater compresbiter noster Hieronimus Sed arbitramur adiuuante misericordia Domini Dei nostri Iesu Christi qui te regere consulentem orantem exaudire dignatur autoritati sanctitatis tuae de sanctorum scripturarum autoritate de promptae facilius eos qui tam peruersa perniciosa sentiunt esse cessuros that it may be rather imputed to the blame of our negligence if we conceale from your holines those things that are to be referred to the church then that you can either disdainfully or carlesly heare vs. wee therfore beseech you that you will vouchsafe to applie your pastorall diligence vnto the weake members of Christ c. Many others that could trace out the errors of Pelagius haue entred the combat with him in defence of the grace of Christ of the truth of the Catholike faith namely your holie sonne our brother fellow priest Hierome but through the mercies of Christ who will vouchsafe to heare you praying direct you giuing counsell wee bee of opinioÌ„ that they will sooner yeeld vnto the authoritie of your holines being deriued from the authoritie of holie scriptures This epistle is recorded amoÌ„g S. Austins so is another of that councell held at Carthage about the same time wherin the Bishop of Africa wrote thus to the same pope Holy Lord and brother we haue thought good to relate to you what we haue done Ex epist xc inter D. Aug. epistolas Hoc itaque gestum Domine frater sancte charitati tuae intimandum duximus vt statutis nostra mediocritatis etiam Apostolicae sedis adhibeatur autoritas pro tuenda salute multorum quorundam peruersitate etiam corrigenda that vnto the decrees of our mediocrity may be adioyned the authoritie of the sea Apostolike aswell for the preserving of manie mens saluation as for the correcting of some persons deprauation By both which Epistles we may easily perceiue how the African Bishops esteemed the church of Rome to bee the sea Apostolike to be that head church vnto which the affaires of higher nature are to bee referred That it had pastorall charge ouer the Churches of Africke that it had authority warranted by the word of God for the defining of matter of faith vnto which even heretikes would yeeld sooner then vnto any other though esteemed never so learned And therfore they sent the decrees of their councell vp to Rome to be confirmed by the pope All this being of record in approved African councels holden about the same time and by the same persons that were at that other African councell what reason hath anie man to thinke that therin the Bishop of Rome was forbidden to intermeddle in their affaires of Afrike Ex Epist D. Aug. IOB Missae sunt itaque de hac re ex duobus conciliis Carthaginensi et Mileuitano relationes ad Apostolicam sedem c. scripsimus etiam ad beatae memoria papam Innocentium c. Ad omnia nobis ipse rescripsit eodem modo quofas erat atque oportebat Apostolica sedis Antistitem S. Austin himself relateth both that these two councells to witt of Carthage and of Mileuitane had written vnto pope Innocentius and further doth assure vs that the popes answer to them was sound such as did well beseeme the sea Apostolike I will therfore be bold to acquaint the Reader with the same his answer These be his words You do
diligently Ex epistola 93. Diligenter ergo congrue Apostolico consulitis honori honori inquam illius quem praeter illa quae sunt extrinsecus solicitudo manet omnium Ecclesiarum super anxijs rebus quae sit tenenda sententia antiqua scilicet regulae formam sequuti quam toto semper ab orbe mecum nostis esse seruatam verum haec missa facio neque enim hoc vestram credo latere prudentiam Qui id etiam actione firmastis scientes quod per omnes prouincias ab Apostolico fonte potentibus responsa semper emanant praesertim quoties fidei ratio ventilatur arbitror omnes fratres coepiscopos nostros non nisi ad Petrum id est sui nominis honoris autorem referre debere velut nunc retulit vestra dilectio quod per totum mundum possit omnibus Ecclesiis in commune prodesse and as it becometh you respect the honor of the sea Apostolik the honor I say of it that besides her owne particuler hath a great care of all churches to declare vnto them what is to be holden of cōtroversies that do arise wherin you do follow the forme of the old Canōs which as you know haue been observed all the world ouer This I let passe bicause your wisdomes be not ignorāt of it but haue by your owne deed confirmed it knowing that answers do flow from the sea Apostolike as from a fountaine into all coūtries that demaūd the same and specially where the substance of faith is sifted out then I thinke that all our brethren and fellow bishops ought to referr the decision and determination therof vnto no other then vnto S. Peter the author of their owne name and order as your charity hath now done This I hope is plaine enough to demonstrate that in pure antiquitie the Bishops of Africk and other countries for the decision of controuersies in matters of doctrine specially were bound to seeke vnto the Bishop of Rome S. Austin as all men know was one of the greatest lights not only of the Africā church but of the whole world since his daies Hee was also present att the same African councell let vs heare whether hee thought that the Bishop of Rome had nothing to doe with the affaires of Africk or that the African Bishops might not appeale to Rome First hee with the other Bishops present at the councels of Carthage and Mileuitan did send the decrees of the same councell to bee confirmed of the pope of which I haue alreadie spoken Ex epistola D. August 261. ad papam Celestinum Collabora obsecro nobiscum pietate venerabilis domine beatissime papa iube tibi qua directa sunt omnia recitari vide Episcopatum qualiter gesserit c. existat exemplo ipsa sede Apostolica iudicata firmante subueni hominibus opem tuam in Christi misericordia multo auidius quam ille poscentibus 2 Hee writeth vnto pope Celestinus about the cause of an African Bishop requesting him to pervse all that had passed about him in Africk and to confirme their former iudgments wherin he acknowledgeth the court of Rome to bee aboue the highest courts in Africk 3 He testifieth that pope Zozimus had authoritie to establish Bishops in Africk and to call a councell there shewing how hee himself was by him sommoned to assist at the same councell in these words Aug. epistola 157. Litera quas ad Mantoniam Caesariensem misisti me apud Caesaream presente venerunt quo nos iniuncta nobis a venerabili papa Zozimo Apostolica sedis Episcopo Ecclesiastica Necessitas traxerat Ecclesiasticall necessitie being enioyned vs by the venerable pope Zozimus bishop of the sea Apostolike we were drawen vnto Cesarea in Mauritania 4 In the same Epistle he declareth how two notable heretikes Pelagius his disciple Celestius were cōdemned vnles they did repent all the world over Ibidem Cuius haeresis vel auctores vel certi acerrimi suasores cum Pelagius Calestinus extitissent conciliorum Episcopalium vigilantia in adiutorio saluatoris qui suam tuetur Ecclesiam etiam a duobus venerabilibus Antistitibus Apostolicae sedis papa Innocentio papa Zozimo nisi correcti etiam egerint paenitentiam toto Christiano Orbe damnati sunt by two renowmed popes Innocentiu and Zozimus wherfore he tooke their power to stretch all the world over where also having cited the decree of Zozimus in his owne words adioyneth this high commendation to it in these words of the sea Apostolike is comprehended so authentike so well grounded so certaine and cleere a definitiō of the Catholike faith that it were an impietie for anie christian man to doubt of it 5 So doth he commend the sentence of Melchiades pope of Rome giuen for Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage against Donatus in these wordes The finall sentence pronounced by Melchiadis Qualis ipsius beati Melchiadis vltima est probata sententia quam innocens quam integra quam prouida atque pacifica paulo post O virum optimum o filium Christianae pacis patrem Christianae plebis how innocent was it how sound how prouident peaceable and a litle after O most excellent mā the sonne of Christian peace and the father of Christian people And of the same good Archbishop Cecilianus Ibidem Episcopus Carthaginis Cecilianus potuit non curare conspirantem multitudinem inimicorum cum se videret Romana Ecclesiae in qua semper Apostolica cathedrae viguit principatus cateris vnde Euangelium ad Africam venit per communicatorias literas esse coniunctum S. Austin saith in the same place that hee needed not care for the multitude of his enemies conspiring against him so long as he saw himself by comunicatory letters ioyned with the church of Rome in which alwaies the principalitie of the Apostolike chaire did florish c. Saint Austin then directing with others the decrees of their councell to be confirmed by the pope teaching also that it were an impiety to doubt of his sentence further affirming that he could condemne heretikes all the world over doth plainly signifie that he held the definition of the sea of Rome for matter of faith to be inviolable Againe walking himself with other Bishops of Africk to a councell at the popes commandement and holding the popes sentence for a finall determination of the African bishops Ecclesiasticall affaires yea avouching in plaine words that the primacy of the Apostolike sea had alwaies florished at Rome All these specialties considered who can doubt but that Saint Austin both in that African councell and ever after was of opinion that the pope of Rome might intermeddle with the Ecclesiasticall causes of Africk and that the African Bishops and their causes and councels might be verie well and ought in some cases to be referred vnto the iudgment of the Bishop of Rome 23 Not long after Saint Augustin liued pope Leo the great who
that priuiledg of principality and that in goverment as by manie circumstances of that councell I haue once alreadie proved to witt All the a Ibid. Act 3 bils preferred to that councell were directed to pope Leo and to the councell The b Ibid. Act. 16. in Epist Pascasini sentence was pronounced in the name of Pope Leo The councell is sent to c In epist Concilij ad LeoneÌ„ pope Leo to be confirmed And all the Bishops there assembled in their Epistle to pope Leo do declare that he was over them as the head is to the rest of the members And much more is there said to testify the church of Romes principality so that M. Abbot could not haue directed vs vnto a more sound and evident witnesse against this his position Thus much of the first fault Secondly he puts the sentence of 150. Bishops that were of the Constantinople councell for them of Chalcedon yet I am content to let that passe bicause it makes no great matter But I may not conceale how he to serve his owne purpose hath cut of the councels words in the middest For those fathers do saie that the Bishop of Constantinople Concil Chalced. cost 15. can 28. was to haue the like priviledges yet secundam post eam existentem to be second after the Bishop of Rome And as it is in the councell of Constantinople which they follow vt obtineret secundum gradum dâ—gnitatis post antiquam Romam Concil Constantinâ—p 1. Can. 3. That the sea of Constantinople should obtaine the second degree of dignity after old Rome Did he not warely pare of those words would they not haue displaid and laid open his cosenage what is like to become of this honest mans credit that durst cite this sentence to disprove the church of Romes principality which doth so plainly approve it But what meant the councell then to saie that the sea of Constantinople should haue like or equall priviledges with Rome Marie they were equall or like in some priviledges not in all They desired that the Bishoprick of Constantinople might be erected vnto the title and dignity of a patriarchall sea as Rome was secondly to haue spirituall Iurisdiction over all Thracia Asia minor and Pontica Further also that it might be placed immediatly after Rome and honored before the other Patriarchall seas of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem even as Rome was Therfore in those two points specially of being a Patriarchall sea and of being preferred before the other patriarches they desired it should be like to Rome yet not Equall to Rome it self in dignity or principalitie but to obtaine the next place after it this was the highest point of their ambition then and the vttermost that was requested To witt That old Rome should enioy the primacie and that Constantinople should haue the next place of dignity after Rome and be inuested with patriarchall Iurisdiction over the Metropolitans of Pontica Asia and Thracia Against which grant made by manie of the councell Concil Chalced. Act. 16. in the absence of the popes legates being presidents publike exception was made by the same presidents in the behalf of the other patriarchall seas who were in the councell of Nice declared to haue next after Rome the highest seats of dignity Ex Epistola 54. Leonis ad Martian Augustum Privilogia enim ecclesiarum sanctorum Patrum canonibus instituta venerabilis Nicenae synodi fixa decretis nulla possunt improbitate conuelli nulla nouitate mutari Hanc impij desiderij conceptionem nunquam debuit intra cordis sui recipere secretum Abstineat ergo ab ecclesiasticarum iniuria regularum illicitos declinet excessus ne se ab vniuersali ecclesia dum inimica pacis tentat abscindat And Leo the great when he came to confirme that generall couÌ„cell approving all the rest protested against that ambition of the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople as both derogatorie to the Decrees of the Nicene couÌ„cell and iniurious vnto the right honorable patriarchall seas of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem well howsoever it were for the rest certain it is to M. Abbots great confusion that the Bishop of Constantinople did not in those daies so much as pretend anie higher preeminence then to be next after the Bishop of Rome and therfore it remaineth euident that he as well as all others did acknowledg the principalitie of the sea of Rome Thus much touching the testimonie of S. Irenaeus my first auctor who averreth all churches to be bouÌ„d to accord with the church of Rome for her more potent principalitie 27 Now I come to examine what M. Abbot can saie against the evidence which I produced out of S. Ciprian Cyprian Epist 55. iuxta Pameli my second witnesses de position in favour of the same church of Rome his words bee these which we touched before vpon another occasion After these things yea they having furthermore a false Bishop set over them by heretikes yet they presumed to saile vnto S. Peters chaire whence priestly vnity doth spring and cary with them letters from schismatikes and prophane persons not remembring the Romans whose faith is by the Apostle praised to be such men as perfidie can haue no accesse to them Ad quos perfidia non potest habere accessum Because perfidia is the contrarie to fides and here by S. Cyprian opposed to the faith of Romans commended by S. Paul I with perfidiousnes which hath also another signification did for explications sake ioyne falshood in matter of faith Against which M. Abbot excepteth as that which turneth S. Ciprians words from his true meaning for he saith that it made nothing for S. Ciprians purpose to say that error in faith could haue no entrie to the Romans because the question then was not about any point of faith but about matter of Iurisdiction and the bad demeanors of some perfidious Africans who hauing been iustly punished at home fled to Rome for reliefe and were like to abuse the pope with false tales if hee tooke not the better heed vnto their reports It was therfore impertinent saies M. Abbot to saie in such a case that error in faith could haue no accesse to Rome Yet he was not so blind but did see that on the other side it were much more impertinent yea vncredible that such a graue wise prelate as S. Ciprian was should affirme that perfidious and vntrue informations in matter of fact could find no entrie in the court of Rome He I say considering this absurdity is driven to a great exigent and hardly can with all his skill excuse that glorious martyr from colloging and glosing which no man did more abhorr then hee and from too excessiue commendation of the Roman courts integrity in ordering matters brought vnto it by appeale out of other countries For neuer any man of experience yet held as I weene that the court of Rome could not giue eare to false informations in matter
but M. Abbot saīth ouer lauishly and as it were dotingly that I do report them falsly for he himself as you shall presently see cannot denie but that I alleage them truly Let vs examin the particulers Ambros in oratione de obitu satyri fratris S. Ambrose say I tooke it to bee all one to saie the Catholike or the Roman church yea he putteth the Romā church as an explication of the Catholike church His good brother satyrus after a shipwrack arrived in Sardinia which was infected with the Luciferiā heresie being carefull not to cōmunicate with any heretikes demāded of that Bishop whom he had sent for to baptise him Aduocauit ad se Episcopum nec vllam veram putauit nisi vera fidei gratiam percontatusque ex eo est vtrumnam cum Episcopis Catholicis hoc est cum Romana Ecclesia conueniret sorte ad id locorum in schismate regionis illius ecclesiae erat whether he did accord with the Catholike Bishops that is with the church of Rome He feared lest the name Catholike was not sufficient to describe true beleevers in an hereticall countrie bicause heretikes do oftentimes call themselues Catholikes and therfore asked whether they were such Catholikes as accorded with the church of Rome that is whether he was a Roman Catholike or no giving vs to vnderstand that they onlie were true Catholikes and onlie to be communicated withall in holie rites who accorded with the church of Rome in faith and religion All this is so true and evident that M. Abbot cannot denie any one word of it Did he not then spitefully over-reach when hee said that I reported my authors falsly He hath no other shift then to saie that in those daies the church of Rome as the most famous and chief church was most fit to bee named in such a case But now the case is altered bicause the church of Rome is fallen from that eminent perfection and is it self now called into question This answere is nothing els then in plaine tearmes petere principium that is to giue that for the solution as a confessed truth which is the maine question is he so destitute of cōmon sence as to thinke that we will or ought to take that for currant coyne and good paiment which we hold for very refuse and drosse All the world knowes that we beleeve the church of Rome not to be changed in any one article of faith wherfore he ought not to returne to vs for a knowen truth that the church of Rome is changed yet the poore mans feeble forces being quite spent he is constrayned to giue the same vnreasonable answere againe againe for he maketh the same answer vnto the like testimony taken out of S. Hierom who demādeth of Ruffinus speaking of his faith which he calleth his faith Hieron Apol. 1. c. Ruff. Fidem suam quam vocat eamne qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quae in Originis voluminibus continetur si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus qui nihil de Originis errore transtulimus either that which the church of Rome professeth or that which is contayned in the books of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are wee Catholikes c. which doth implie that it was all one with S. Hierom to saie the Roman faith and the true Catholike faith All which M. Abbot confesseth to be true and therby cleereth mee from that imputation of misreporting my authors Afterward he asketh what is here said of the Roman church that might not likewise haue bene said of any other church professing the true faith well let vs admitt that the same might haue been said of any other church vnder that conditiō that they had professed the true faith yet because the ancient Fathers were not so well assured of the perpetuall infallibilitie of any other church as they were of the church of Rome therfore they preferred the communion of the Roman Church before all other and therin ordinarilie made their instances And for that M. Abbot doth euer and anone come in with this answer that the church of Rome was then the true Church but now it is cleane changed and takes this to be as sharpe as the sword at Delphos and as fit to cut all knotts asonder that can not otherwise be loosed I will here set downe some reasons which did induce these holy Doctors and much more ought to persuade vs to beleeue that the church of Rome shall euer continue firme in the faith The ancients made no doubte but that Christes Church should continue to the worlds ende and retaine the same forme of government which he him self had established in it which most Protestants now are also come to confesse but as I haue before prooued the same most learned and blessed fathers both beleeued and taught the Bishops and Church of Rome to be as it were the rock and foundation of Christs church wherfore like as the house must needes fall to the grounde whose foundation faileth so the catholick church could not stand inuiolable to the later day if the Roman church which is the chiefest member support therof should perish It were needelesse to repeate here those sentences of the ancient Doctors once before produced in confirmation of this argument I wil be cōtent with one text of S. Austin that doth both directly crosse M. Abbots supposition and manifestly prooue this my assertion These be his wordes If the Pedegree of Bishops succeding one another be to be considered August epistola 165. Si enim ordo episcoporum sibi inuicem succedentium considerandus est quanto rectius vere salubriterab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam how much more rightly and assuredly do we recken frō S. Peter him self vnto whom bearing the figure of the whole church our Lord said vpon this Rock I will build my church To Peter succeeded Linus c. Behold how fully S. Austin had 1200. yeares before hand confuted M. Abbots proposition M. Abbot saith that the fathers might as well haue alleaged their communion with any other church as with the church of Rome Not so saith S. Austin but if the successiō of Bishops be to be regarded as it is very highly to be esteemed and the cōmunion in faith and Religion with thē then that of the Bishops and church of Rome is more right and better assured then any other Obserue also the same reason giuē by that most renowmed Doctor which I before deliuered because vpon S. Peter who was the roote and stock of the Roman Pedegree as vpon a Rock Christ built his church against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile wherfore in another place he is bold to tell the donatistes that the see or church of Rome is that rock against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Againe doth not our
Sauiour comparing it to a Rock intimate that it should neuer decay Besides had not the gates of Hell mightely preuayled against the church of Christ if it had ouercome the church of Rome therby ouerthrowne as it were the foundation of it finally August ibid. Vt certa sit spes fidelibus qui faciunt ea quae Romani Pontifices cis facienda praecipiunt quae non in homine sed in Domino quidixit qua dicunt facite collocata nūquam tempestate sacrilegi schismatu dissipetur S. Austin in the same place holdeth him self so well assured of the perpetuall stabilitie of the Bishops of Rome in the true faith that he doubteth not euen frō our sauiours owne mouth to assure all them that cleaue fast vnto it and do beleue and do that which the Bishops of Rome teach them that they shall neuer be carried away into any sacrilegious schisme if they shall never fall into schisme that stik fast vnto the Roman church then without all doubt the Roman faith should neuer after be changed The second text of holie scripture out of which it may be prooued that the Bishop and church of Rome shall neuer erre in matter of faith is this I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth faile not and thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Our blessed Sauiour by the vertue of his holy and effectuall praier obtained that S. Peters faith should not at any tyme faile that he might be alwaies able to confirme all Christians that staggered in any point of faith And because our soueraign Lord did not establish a church that should endure no longer then S. Peter Liued but would haue it continue for euer in like manner he would haue one sure pillar at the least in the same to vphold all in the true faith that should become members of it at any time after This to haue been S. Peters successor the Bishop of Rome I haue before prooued by the consent of the aunciēt holy fathers I will heere repeate one sentence of S. Ciprian because it seemes to bee grounded vpon these very wordes of our Saviour The Romans faith is such Cip. epist 55. that perfidy or misbeliefe can haue no accesse vnto them which is the very same in effect that S. Peter and the Bishops of Rome his successors faith cannot faile for if misbeliefe could seize or take anie hold vpon their faith it should suerly faile because beliefe and misbeliefe cannot dwell together but the Roman faith being by the efficacie of our Sauiours praier warranted from failing it remaineth most assured that misbeliefe can haue no accesse vnto it which could not bee true if M. Abbots exception might take place that forsooth for three or fower hundreth yeares it should not faile but for a 1000. yeeres after it should mightely bee corrupted which if it were admitted it had been truer to haue said that their faith should faile then that it should not faile because for longer time according to their fantasicit had failed then cōtinued without faile wherfore that their new glose being directlie opposite to our blessed Sauiours owne words which are without anie limitatiō of time is to bee abhorred as that which doth corrupt the text and the old doctors most literall interpretation to bee imbraced vnto S. Ciprian I will here onely ioyne the Zealous and most holie Father S. Bernard who writing vnto Pope Innocentius the third doth take for most certen out of this text of holie scripture that the faith of the Romane Bishops had not failed for a thousand yeares after Christs daies nor should euer afterwardes faile These be his words we must referr vnto your Apostleship the dangers and scandales that arise in the kingdome of God but especiallie those that appertaine to the faith Bernardus epist 190. Oportet ad vestrum referri Apostolatum pericula quaeque scandala emergentia in regno Dei ea praesertim quae de fide contingunt Dignum namque arbitror ibi potissimum resarciri damna fides vbi non possit fides sentire defectum Hac quippe huius praerogatiua sedis Cui enim alteri aliquando dictum est Ego pro te rogaui Petre vt non deficiat fides tua Ergo quod sequitur de Petri successore exigitur tu aliquando conuersus confirma fratres tuos Id quidem modo necessarium est Tempus est vt vestrum agnoscatis principatum probetis Zelum Ministerium honoretis in eo plane Petri impletis vicem cuius tenetis sedem si vestra admonitione corda in fide fluctantia confirmetis si vestra auctoritate cōteritis fidei corruptores for I esteeme it fitt that the defect◠of faith should bee there principallie repaired where faith cannot faile which is the prerogatiue of this seate For to what other was it euer said I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith maie not faile therfore that which followeth is to bee exacted of S. Peters successor And thou once conuerted confirme thy brethren which truly is at this present needfull for it is high time most beloued Father that you acknowledg your principalitie shew your zeale and honor your Ministerie you shall therin rightlie supplie the office of S. Peter in whose seate you sit if you do by our admonition confirme their harts that wauer in the faith and by your authoritie do suppresse the corrupters of the same Cā anie thing be more perspicuous thē that the holie learned religious Abbot S. Bernard whose testimonie the Protestants do often vse did acknowledg that which our Saviour said to S. Peter to belong vnto the Bishops of Rome and that they had and should euer haue by vertue of our said Redeemers praier power and grace to strengthen good Christians in the right faith and to beate downe all enemies of the same If M. Abbot were not an Abbot in name only but had in deed some of that holie Abbots heauenlie light in him he would soone see and confesse the same Albeit those two texts of holie scriptures be more then sufficient to cōfound M. Abbots bare supposition nakedly put downe and verie often repeated without any kind of proofe yet for more complet cōfirmation therof I will cite a third sentence out of S. Paul which rightly vnderstood doth greatly fortifie the same Rom. 16. These be the Apostles words The God of peace crush satan vnder your feet quickly Chris in illum locū Or as it is in the Protestants translation out of the Greeke The God of peace shall bruise Satan vnder your feete shortly These words of the Apostle are as Saint Chrysostom witnesseth both a praier and a prophecie a praier as they stand in our text a prophecy as they are in Greek which Caluin vpon the same text doth graunt the true purport thereof is that God should in short space so bruise and crush Satan in the head and as it were beate him into powder vnder the feate of the
Romans that he should neuer afterward be able to lift vp his head against them in any matter of faith wherin S. Hierom seemes to bee so confident that he doubts not to write to Ruffinus that which M. Abbot may take as spoken to himself Notwithstanding know you that the Romane faith by the Apostles mouth praised S. Hieron Apol. 3. con Ruffinum Attamen scito Romanam fidem Apostolico ore laudatam eiusmodi praestigias non recipere Etiam si Angelus aliter annunciet quam semel praedicatum est Pauli auctoritate munitam non posse mâ—tari doth not admit anie such deceites and tromperies yea if an Angel should preach anie other thing besids that which hath been alreadie preached yet that faith being by the Apostles authoritie fortified could neuer bee changed will M. Abbot yet be so shameles as to stand vp and to giue this graue holie doctor the lie as he must needs do if hee will yet sing his old song and saie that the Roman faith notwithstanding all the Apostles praier and prophecie is foulie changed and that in verie manie great points with the forsaid testimonies may be linked for the antiquitie of it this that standeth on record in the third generall councell holden at Ephesus S. Peter the head of the Apostles and pillar of faith c. did receiue from Christ the keies of the kingdome of heauen c. and doth vnto this daie liue in his successors and determine causes And shall alwaies liue Behold S. Peter alwaies liueth in the Bishops of Rome his successors to determin causes and gouerne the church what then shall become of M. Abbots change will he make S. Peter also a changeling This point I will close vp with this memorable sentence of S. Leo. The soundnes of that faith praised in the prince of the Apostles is euerlasting Leo in serm 2. Assumptionis suae ad sumum Pontificem Soliditas enim illius fidei quae in Apostolorum Principe est laudata perpetua est Et sicut permanet quod in Christo Petrus credidit ita permanet quod in Petro Christus instituit c. Manet ergo dispositio veritatis beatus Petrus in accepta fortitudine petra perseuerans suscepta ecclesiae gâ—bernacula non reliquit and like as that which Peter beleeued of Christ continueth for euer so doth that which Christ did institute in Peter c. Therfore the ordinance of the truth standeth fast and blessed Peter perseuering by his successors in that strength of a rocke hath not forsaken the gouernment of the church Seing the faith and fortitude of Saint Peter shall continue for euer in his successors the bishops of Rome that cuckoes song of M. Abbots that the now church of Rome is in matter of faith degenerated from the old must needs be false And what more manifest signe can one demaund therof then that all the wits of the protestants hauing travailed after nothing more for this fiftie yeeres cannot yet find out any one errour in matter in faith wherin the church of Rome hath at any time dissented from her self in former ages I know right well that they avouch boldlie that it hath changed manie articles of faith but let him that will haue credit given to him so saying name the error it self in particuler and the time when it was first receiued and by what pope it was approued which if no learned Protestant be able to performe let them be well assured that repeat it neuer so often over and ouer that the church of Rome is not the same now as it was in S. Austins time they deserue not to be beleeued Neither am I ignorant that some more hardy then their fellowes haue gone about to designe the time when the church of Rome began her Apostacy But therin they agree no better then the false Elders that accused Susanna of adulterie did of the tree vnder which the fained fact was pretended to bee done And therfore be no more worthy of credit then they were 30 M. Abbot goeth on to proue that I racked and wronged my authors and saith that Tertullian whoÌ„ I alleaged as sending to the church of Rome to learne the true doctrine doth send also to other churches as well as to the church of Rome Be it so but if he appealed vnto the church of Rome as well as to others did I him any wrong in saying that he appealed vnto the church of Rome I did not saie that he excluded all or ane ony other Doth not M. Abbot rather rack my words and wrong himself in imposing that vpon mee which I said not Besids M. Abbot doth offer great wrong to Tertullian not so much by racking his words as by chopping them quite of in the middest for where Tertullian saith If thou border on Italy thou hast the church of Rome vnde nobis authoritas presto est whence authority comes to vs. M. Abbot cuts of the latter part of the sentence which imports that men in Africk for that was Tertullians countrie did acknowledg the church of Rome to haue authority ouer them M. Abbot then hauing so cunningly conueyed the matter by cutting of that which made for vs doth afterward aske mee what was there left to serve my turne if his conueiance be no cleanlier then so it were better for him to leaue those trickes ro them that haue more nimbles fingers The Cathalogue of the Bishops of Rome set downe by Epiphanius doth serue to shew that the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters true successors which M. Abbot and the protestants sometimes when they are at a stand do not stick to deny Optatus Bishop of Milevitane S. Austins auncient did proue as M. Abbot cannot deny his part to be Catholike in that it comunicated with the church of Rome yet M. Abbot to detract some what from the see of Rome addeth that Optatus did not proue his part Catholike by communicating simply with the church of Rome but for that communicating with the church of Rome it communicated with the church of the whole world which words of Optatus are so farr of from detracting any thing from the church of Rome that they do much magnifie the comodity of her communion for he saith not that he communicated with the church of Rome and with all other churches making them seuerall parts but that in communicating with the church of Rome he communicated with the churches of the whole world thereby declaring the comunion with the church of Rome to be the meanes of communicating with all others which is the very same that we do now go about to proove His words which containe manie memorable instructions are these spoken vnto Parmenianus a Donatist Thou canst not deny but that thou knowest an Episcopall chaire to haue been placed in the city of Rome Optatus mileuit l. 2. co parmenianum Igitur negare non potes scire te in vrbe Roma Petro primo Cathedram Episcopalem esse
collatam in qua sederit omnium Apostolorum caput Petrus in qua vna cathedra vnitas ab omnibus seruaretur ne caeteri Apostoli singulas sibi quisque defenderent vtiam schismaticus peccator esset qui contra singularem cathedram alteram collocaret ergo cathedra vnica quae est prima de dotibus sedit prior Petrus cui successit linus c. damaso Siricius hodie qui noster est socius Cum quo nobis totus orbis commercio formatarum in vna communionis societate concordat vestrae cathedrae vos originem reddite qui vobis vultis sanctam Ecclesiam vindicare wherin Peter the head of all the Apostles sate first in which one chaire vnity is preserued amoÌ„gst all c. That he is now to be taken for a sinner a schismatike that would against that singuler or only chaire oppose another Therfore in that one chaire which is the first in dowry sate Peter vnto whom succeeded Linus and so in â—ew downe vnto Siricius that then liued who is saith Optatus our companion with whom the whole world by entercourse of formed letters doth concord with vs in the same society of coÌ„munion Hitherto Optatus where you see by the iudgment of so great a Prelate who liued in the time of pure antiquity that the chaire of Rome is the only chaire of vnity with which if you ioyne you are in the vnitie of Christs church against which if you oppose your self you become a sinner and a schismatike further that by communicating in faith with it you do enter into the society of all Catholikes dispersed ouer the whole world I do now staÌ„d more particulerly vpon those holy fathers words bicause M. Abbot was so shamles as to write that I did before of set purpose omitt their words bicause if I had set them downe euerie one might haue seene as he saith that they said nothing for our purpose when as for breuities sake I was then content only to point at these testimonies not thinking that any man would haue been so careles of his credit as to haue denied them to be most effectuall to our purpose Now that Optatus did prove the Donatists to be a particuler stragling congregation like the Protestants not only for that they did not comunicate with the church of Rome but also for want of comunication with the churches of Asia that makes nothing against the singuler esteeme hee had of the church of Rome for learned writers do vse diuers sorts of arguments to make their partie the more strong and probable One argument not destroying but fortifying the other The Donatists were schismatikes saith that noble Author bicause they opposed themselues against the church of Rome They were also astraying company for that they held no communion with the churches of Asia or any other part of the world besides Africa From Optatus M. Abbot coms to answer that place I quoted out of S. Austin which I haue before set downe at large and confesseth August epist 165. That Austin setteth downe the succession of the Bishops of Rome and vpbraideth the Donatists that no Donatist euersate in that chaire But M. Abbot doth add that as well doth he obiect to them that wheras they read the Epistles of the Apostles they deuided themselues from the peace and fellowship of those churches to which the Apostles wrote the same Epistles Is not this a worthy answer trow you bicause S. Austin vsed as a second argument to confute the Donatists their seperation from the knowne fellowship of the world Therfore his former argument taken from the coÌ„munion of the sea of Rome was nothing worth wheras contrary wise acute disputantes like to wise warriours do coÌ„monly range the strongest arguments in the forefront Or is there nothing to our purpose in the former place of S. Austin as here M. Abbot having put on a brasen forhead doth avouch Turne to it good Reader and see First that profound Doctor teacheth that among all the successions of Bishops that of Rome is most to be regarded bicause the gats of hell shall never preuaile against it Secondly that there had sitten from Peter vnto Anastasius then pope about fortie popes and that not so much as one of them had been a Donatist wherfore the Donatists were to be reiected of all men Hee thirdly teacheth in the same place that if any traitor should by chance creepe into that chaire of Rome yet the wickednes of that man should not be preiudiciall vnto the innocent faithfull that do rely vpon Christs promise made to that chaire bicause our Saviours singuler care therof is and wil be alwaies such that they who put their trust therin shall neuer be confounded Is all this nothing to our purpose that the gats of hell cannot prevaile against the chaire of Rome That they who rely vpoÌ„ it cannot faile no not if there should be a naughty Bishop sitting in that chaire besides as S. Austin did then argue because not one of the Bishops of Rome had been a Donatist therfore the Donatists religion was to be reiected why may not we in like manner make a stronger argument against the Protestants and conclude that seing among all the Bishops of Rome that haue been froÌ„ Saint Peter vnto Paule the fift which are in number not 40. only but more then 200 yet not one of them hath been a protestant therfore the protestants religion must needs be starke naught and of all men to te vtterly reiected This I hope will serve to discouer M. Abbots over hardy audacitie who noteth here that the cause why I did set downe my authors names without their words was for that their names might get some credit to my cause but their words would haue shewed that they had said nothing for mee when as now every man may see that their words truly set downe do make much more for mee then a verie good frind would haue imagined vnlesse he had seen them himself M. Abbot proceedeth to another great priuiledg which I related in honor of the church of Rome to witt that there hath not been any generall councell of vndoubted and sound authority vnlesse it were by the same sea confirmed which is a point of such importance that whosoeuer doth maturely ponder it it is alone sufficient to perswade him in all controversies of religion to make his recourse vnto the church of Rome and to follow that full and wholy which he shall find to be resolued by it For if the wisest and most learned heads of the world assembled together in a generall councell after all their owne advises vpon long examination of all particulers given do yet hold it expedient to send to the pope of Rome to haue his approbation and confirmation therof how much more ought any particuler person be he of never so exquisite gifts for iudgment and literature to referr himself vnto the determination of the same seat whervnto what doth M. Abbot answere first as
to beleeve let him but proue that any one of the afore rehersed heresies were condemned in generall councell or that those popes of Rome by me named did not condemne them 32 It is to small purpose which M. Abbot saith that notwithstanding the opposition of the legates of the Bishop of Rome and the popes owne reclayming also yet it was decreed in the councell of Chalcedon that the Bishop of Constantinople should haue equall priuiledges with the Bishop of Rome saue only that the Bishop of Rome had the precedence bicause the opposition of the popes Legats with some others in that councell and the popes disclayming from that point when the councell was sent to him to be confirmed as most opposit vnto the first generall councell of Nice was sufficient to reverse and annihilate that decree which needs no other proofe then one argument which the same Legats vsed then and there to suppresse that ambition of the Bishops of Constantinople For the like decree had been made once before in the second generall councell holden at Constantinople and yet the pope not condescending thervnto it tooke no effect whervpon the presidents made this witty dilemma If the Bishops of Constantinople having the like Canon made in their favour fowrscore yeres before that time had euer sithence enioyed that prerogatiue and preeminence why did they nowe againe seeke after it And if notwithstanding that decree made in their fauour they could then not obtaine it why did they now seeke to haue the like Canon againe made for them which would no more prevaile for them then the other given before by the same authority For that this would be as well withstood by Leo the great as the other was reiected by Pope Damasus 33 M. Abbot following his accustomed humor of excepting against whatsoever I write doth say that an nother note of mine is fond and a vaine presumption I would haue it to be noted that all heresies lightly which sprung vp ever since the Apostles daies even to our time haue opposed themselues against the church of Rome and haue been by the same sea ouercome which argueth most cleerly that the church of Rome is the seat of Christ and fortresse of verity against which all of the band of Antichrist do continually and daily wage battell but all in vaine and with verie ill successe for they all vanishing away like smoke it continueth still and shall do for euer because it is an invincible rock which the gates of hell shall neuer over come M. Abbot crieth out against this as a fond presumption but doth not bring any one instance to the contrary so that his exception being without reason may well be passed ouer without answere wheras I countenanced my assertion with the authority S. Austin who writeth Aug. de vtili credendi ca. 17. Dubitabimus nos eius Ecclesiae condere gremio quae vsque ad confâ—ssionem generis humani ab Apostolica sede per successiones Episcoporum frustra haereticis circum latrantibus culmen auctoritatis obtiuuit that the sea Apostolike obtained the top of authority heretiks barking round about in vaine which did prove that all heretikes how soeuer they snarle one at another yet do commonly ioyne all in one to barke against the church of Rome And which is most to be noted all in vaine M. Abbot to shew the profundity of his skill doth saie that I take there sedes Apostolica wrong for the sea Apostolike of Rome when as it signifieth saith hee the Apostles time And albeit the natiue signification of the words be plaine for mee yet he avoucheth S. Austin to vse these words to signifie the time of the Apostles And for proofe therof he citeth two places out of S. Austin Aug. coÌ„t saustum mam li. 11. ca. 2. in neither of which Apostolica sedes is vsed at all in the singular number nor in the plurall neither to signifie any other thing then the seats and chaires of the Apostles Take one of those places of his owne alleaging for example Ibidem l 29. ca. 2. Vniuersa Ecclesia ab Apostolicis sedibus vsque ad presentes Episcopos certa successione perducta The vniuersall church deriued from the Apostolicall seats by certain succession vnto the Bishops that now are where mention being made of lineall descent of Bishops from the Apostles seats Great iniury should be done to those Bishops by him that would say they descended indeed from the Apostles times but not from the chaires of the Apostles For if they had descended from Simon Magus or some other Archheretike of the Apostles time they might bee said to haue descended ab Apostolicis sedibus from the Apostles times according to M. Abbots interpretation because their descent was from the time of the Apostles yet could not be said to haue descended from the Apostles chaires as their lawfull Successors according vnto S. Austins or any other approved auncient Authors true meaning therfore M. Abbots deprauation rather then interpretation of those words is too too absurd That S. Austin did commonly take sedes Apostolica for the Bishop or church of Rome is most evident to all that haue read his works let them that are not so conversant in him take these few places for a tast therof in his 106. Epistle Missae sunt literae ad Apostolicam sedem Letters were sent to the sea Apostolike that is to the Bishop of Rome And in the 157. Epistle Zozimus Apostolicae sedis Episcopus Zozimus Bishop of the Apostolike sea and Pope Innocent Bishop of the Apostolike sea And in his booke De peccato originali the sixt chapter to make profession before the sea Apostolike and the seaventh the letters of the sea Apostolike And that you may be well assured that in Africa at those daies sedes Apostolica was the common title of the church of Rome both that African councell cited by M. Abbot in the 35. Canon and the fore alleaged epistles of the councels of Carthage and Milevitan vnto Pope Innocentius do by it ordinarily designe the Bishop of Rome which maie suffice for a proof that sedes Apostolica in that place of saint Austin is to be taken for the sea of Rome And wheras M. Abbot saies that in all that booke of S. Austin there is no mention made of any particular church and therfore vnlike that those words should beare any speciall appliâ—ation to the church of Rome I in answer do say that sides Apostolica vsed there by S. Austin in the singular number is sufficient to giue vs biâ—h to vnderstand that hee spake of a particuler church also to lead vs to applie these his words vnto the church of Rome which he commonly through all his workes doth describe by those verie words which may also be much confirmed by the like sentence vsed by S. Austin to the same purpose in another place where hee saith Aug. co Epist fundam ca. 4. In Ecclesia gremio me
tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas ones suas dontinus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum The successioÌ„ of Bishops from the seat of S. Peter even to this present Bishop doth hold mee in the bosome of the Catholike church Are not these words plaine enough to expound the other Let vs repose our selues in the bosom of that church which by succession of Bishops from the Apostolike sea to wit of S. Peter hath obtayned the top of authoritie Compare the bosome with the bosome the succession of Bishops of the one with the other and they will easily lead vs to take the chaire of S. Peter to be the exposition of the Apostolike sea This is so sensible that M. Abbot himself after hee had a litle wrangled against it comes to admitt of it how litle care then had he of his owne honesty that before charged mee with dishonest falsifying of those words of S. Austin and yet in the end is forced to take them euen so as I did And that you may in him behold the picture of one that will neuer yeeld to any truth that wee say be it neuer so apparant He admitting that wee ought to repose our selues in the bosome of that sea Apostolike wherin S. Peter sate yet hee saies that it doth not heerby follow that we ought rather to repose our selues in the bosome of the church of Rome theÌ„ in the church of Antioch where Peter sate aswell as hee did at Rome and where there had been Bishops succeediÌ„g him vntill that time how now good sir had you leifer send your reader to Antioch to relie on some schismatik vnder the Turk then to Rome But this is a meere cavill for though S. Peter was for a season Bishop of Antioch and of some other cities also which he first converted to the Christian faith vntill he had provided them of some others Yet he finally making choice of the city of Rome for his residence and dying there coÌ„secrating that place to God by the shedding of his blood for the Christian faith The Bishops of Rome and not of Antioch haue by consent of all antiquity been ever taken for S. Peters successors I haue before produced sufficient testimonie for this matter so that it were needles heere againe to repeat the same when it will serve for this turne to proue that S. Austin of whose words wee now treat tooke the Bishops of Rome for S. Peters successors and never the Bishop of Antioch Let M. Abbot if hee can giue meâ— therof one instance but because I know hee cannot doe that I will giue him some to the contrary S. Austin taught the church of Rome to be S. Peters chaire Aug. co literas Peril l. 2. ca. 51. and the Bishops of Rome his successors in these words what hath the church of Rome done to thee in which S. Peter sate and now sitteth Anastasius who was then Bishop of Rome Againe Idem epist 1â—5 where he expresly enquireth after S. Peters Successors and by name affirmeth Linus Bishop of Rome to haue been his successor and consequently all other Bishops of Rome to his owne time He doth in like manner declare Rome to bee S. Peters chaire and the Bishops of Rome his successors In the Psalme hee made against the part of Donate In Psal co partem don and writing against the Donatists fundamentall Epistle Finally in the tenth question of the old and new testament Con. Epist fundamenti cap. 4. to omit many other places of his workes out of the which the same may bee evidently deduced well it being manifest by the verdict of S. Austin that wee must repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike and further that the same sea is the church of Rome M. Abbot will now surely at the length to his owne eternall rest repose himself in the same holy bosome of the church of Rome beware of that in any case He hath yet bethought himself of another sorie shift Let saies hee M. Bishop take those words as he will yet there is nothing therin concerning the church of Rome but that as the principall church and specially in the westerne parts it serued most conveniently for instance of the succession But as for the height and top of authoritie there spoken of it belongeth to the Catholike or vniuersall church And meere impudency it is by those or any other words of Austin to chalenge to that church any superiority in goverment ouer other churches when as wee see both Austin and the rest of the Bishops of Africa did with one consent vtterly disclaime the same Turtull co ValeÌ„t c. 2. vinci possunt suaderi non possunt O how true is that ancient saying of Turtullian heretikes may be overcome but they will neuer be perswaded to yeeld and acknowledge it M. Abbot granting that S. Austin hauing first resolued vs to repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike that is to embrace what that church should teach vs and wholy rely vpon her definitions Secondly that the church of Rome was that sea Apostolike which had obtayned the top of authority heretikes in vaine barking round about it yet presently as if he had wholy forgotten that which stood before his eies ot els not caring what hee said to avoid a dumbe blanck he falleth to his old byas and flieth back to that which he said in the beginning albeit it had been so often before confuted That forsooth the church of Rome is only the principall church and fittest to bee taken for instance in succession in westerne churches but it hath not saith hee any superiority in goverment when as S. Austin plainly teacheth that wee must repose our selues in that churches bosome and set vp our rest vpon her decrees that is be sure to ioyne in faith and religion with the Bishops of the same and that bicause that church hath obtayned the top of Authority and highest degree in goverment M. Abbot confessing the former part of the sentence to belong to the church of Rome hath left himself no shadow of reason to dismember from it that which S. Austin doth so expresly ioyne and linke with it Heare once againe his words shall we doubt to repose our selues in the bosome of that church which ever by the confession of mankind c hath obtayned the top of authority heretikes barking round about it Do you not see even by the cleere words of S. Austin that he must confesse himself not to be a member of mankind that will deny that church which he there spoke of to haue the top of authority what then shall become of M. Abbot that granteth the church there spoken of to be the church of Rome yet will not confesse it to haue that top of authoritie Either he must be rased out of the number of men or at the least be ranked in the rew of those hereticall men that did so vainly
barke against that so apparant truth which the sound corps of all true beleeving men do most constantly and gloriously confesse I hauing before shewed at large how neither S. Austin nor the African Bishops did deny anie one branch of the Bishop of Romes primacy no not so much as forbid their owne Bishops to appeale vnto the court of Rome And did otherwise in sundry sorts declare their dutifull obedience vnto the same sea of Rome M. Abbots inference out of his owne mistaking and error is wholy disappointed To conclude then this paragraff it doth remaine most assured and cleere that our blessed Saviour made S. Peter and his successors that rock vpon which he built his church therby giving them supreme power and authority to govern his whole church not for any limited nunber of yeares but for so long as his church should continue a church that is to the worlds end for against it the gats of hell shall never prevaile Secondly it is as certen that the Bishops of Rome be in that charge of government ouer all the church S. Peters lawfull successors with whom therfore whosoeuer ioyneth in matter of faith and religion shall never be deceiued nor fall in to schisme and against whoÌ„ whosoeuer barketh and opposeth himself hee not only barketh and laboreth in vaine as S. Austin speaketh but if he do obstinatly persever therin he therby to vse Optatus words before rehearsed becometh both a sinner and a schismatike From which most hainous crimes our sweet Saviour of his infinit mercie and goodnes deliuer all my most deere frinds and best beloued countrymen THE SVMME OF THE third paragraff or section W. B. ALBEIT the church of Rome strictly taken doth comprehend those Christians only that dwell within the citie and Diocese of Rome yet it is vsed by men of both sides to designe the faithfull of all countries that in religion do fully agree with the same and that specially because they do acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to bee vnder Christ the supreme governor therof As in times past the Roman Empire did not containe the territory of Rome alone or countrie of Italy but all lands and nations that professed obedience to the Emperor of Rome And like as in the primitiue church the title Catholike was added to Christian to distinguish true Christians from heretikes Even so now a daies when heretiks are growne so audacious as to arrogate vnto themselues the name of Catholiks though their religion bee nothing lesse theÌ„ Catholike the word RomaÌ„ is ioyned to Catholike to separate true Catholikes from counterfeit the Roman Catholike signifying those Catholiks that in faith and religion do perfectly agree with the church of Rome R. AB I Do confesse my self to bee one of those Doctors that know not this new found distinction of the Roman church to witt that it may bee taken either for the Diocesse of Rome or for all churches that in faith fully agree with the Roman M. Bishop can bring neither scripture nor any ancient writer for the warrant of it Secondly it being admitted that the churche of Rome may be taken for all churches agreing in faith with it yet it remaineth still a particular church bicause there be many other churches in Europe and Asia that do not agree with it in faith nor acknowledg her chiefty ouer their churches For example the churches of Luther Caluin and such like in Europe and certain other schismaticall churches in other parts of the world And as in the time of the Roman Empire there were many other kingdomes in the world so now besids the Roman church there be many other churches Moreouer the fathers haue told vs of the Latin and Greeke of the East and west churches Pighius Eccl. Hier. l 6. c. 3. but neuer specifie the Roman to signifie the whole church And Pighius asketh who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall church Albeit the Bishops of Rome wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike church Yet they meant of that part of the Catholike church which was in Rome when the Catholike french man doth say we bee of the Catholike Roman church wee vnderstand them therby to take part with the church of Rome but the church of Rome is that of Rome only and is factiously called the Catholike church which is the whole and the Roman put to it is a tearme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part To them therfoee may be applied that of Optatus against the Donatists you would haue your selues Optat. l. 2. con Po rin only to be the whole who are not in all the whole And if in ancient times when there were so manie heresies it was thought a sufficient distinction to ioyne Catholike to Christian why is it not sufficient now a â—â—ies It is the Inuention of Antichrist and his badge to chalenge to himself and his only to bee the whole Catholike church That name Roman is a name of sect and schisme This is the summe of all which M. Abbot saith in this paragraff or section W. B. IN this section is discouered a second falacy of that false argument which they so often vse No particuler church can be the Catholike church but the Roman is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee the Catholike church In the precedent section I haue laid open the manifold faults of this their argument shewing first the conclusion if it were granted not to bee to the purpose for the point in question was not whether the Roman church were the whole Catholike church or no but whether the word Roman in stile might bee couched with the Catholike church that is whether one might sensybly and trulie saie and write The Catholike Roman church they say yea we say no to make good their assertion they a vouch the church of Rome not to be the whole church we answere that the proof is not to the purpose albeit that were true for though it were not the whole church yet it might be called by the name of the whole not onely because euery part of that kind may be called by the name of the whole but also for that it is such a part as shall neuer be seperated from the whole and consequently as in existence it is alwaies close coupled with the whole so may it very well in stile be interlaced with it Secondly I affirmed that taking the church of Rome for a part yet it being the most eminent part it might very iustly giue name to the whole according to that axiome approued by all the learned A parte principaliore denominatur totum the whole is named after some principall part the whole land of Israël was called Iury of the principall tribe therof Iuda And our own country wherin dwelt both Saxons and Vites aswell as English men was named England when one of the English attained to the monarchy in like maner the church of Rome being the head of the rest as before I haue prooued though
Sicubi audieru eos qui dicuntur Christi non a Iesu Christo sed a quoquam alio nuncupari vtputa Marcionistas valentinianos montenses scito non Ecclesiam Christi sed Antichristi esse synagogam but froÌ„ other men as Marcionists valentinians or such like as are now a daies Lutherans Zuinglians c. be you well assured that they belong not to the church of Christ but to the Sinagogue of Antichrist Out of this sound doctrine of the ancient fathers and approued doctors M. Abbots obiection is easily solued For albeit there be many erring congregations which would gladlie bee called churches and do chaleÌ„ge to theÌ„selues the name and authoritie of the church which the church of Rome doth not comprehend yet those congregations being no more true churches then Apes be men the church of Rome maie bee truly said to compreheÌ„d all the Catholike church though it do not containe any of theÌ„ they being for their ertors in faith and disvnioÌ„ in matter of religion by the verdict of the auncieÌ„t fathers esteemed rather schismatikes parts of sathaÌ„s sinagogue then any members of Christs Catholike church I am not ignoraÌ„t that there be certain good fellowe Libertins who more willing to please men with plausible doctrine then to acquaint them with Gods iust iudgments And to make some shew that theire church hath been alwaies a member of the visible Catholike church do teach that even schismatikes and heretikes so they erre not in some fundamentall points of religion be notwithstanding reall and true members of the Catholike church Against whose error I meane god willing to make a chapter in this booke wherfore I will not here stand to confute it But admitting it here for passable I do not see any reason why in the waie of that opinion the Roman church may not comprehend even those vnpure churches too For albeit they do not acknowledg the chiefty of the Roman church nor agree with it in all articles of faith yet they acknowledging the Roman to hold all those fundamentall articles of faith must needs grant that they do agree with it in all points that are of necessitie to bee beleeued On the other side they cannot deny but that they are all descended out of the same Roman church not being able to shew any other stocke or pedegree out of which their church is issued and sprung why then should they not yeeld that honor vnto the same as to acknowledg themselues members of her from whom they deriue their descent and pedigree and with whom they do agree in all fundameÌ„tall points of doctrine though in some other not necessarie in their opinion to be beleeued they do dissent from her Neither is that example of the Roman Empire well applied by M. Abbot For albeit there were and bee many kingdomes in the world besids the Roman Empire not subiect therto nor any meÌ„bers therof yet there be not nor cannot bee many christian churches wherof the one is not a member of the other For all Christian creeds do teach vs to beleeue that there is but one only church not many Ephes 4. Cant. 6.8 One spouse of Christ one body of Christ vna est columba mea c. which is the common doctrine of the auncient fathers after S. Ciprian and Saint Austin who haue made whole treatises of the vnitie of the church So that though there be many distinct kingdomes independent one of the other yet there cannot bee many such churches but all and euerie particuler true church is a true member of the one only Catholike church All of them perfectly agreeing togither in society of faith in vnity of sacraments and in forme of government Consequently the head mother church such as before I haue proued the Roman church to bee may convenientlie bee vsed to signifie all the rest No man denies the more proper signification of the church of Rome to bee the city or Diocese of Rome it self in which sense Albertus Pighius doth truly say of it That it is a particular church and not to be taken for the vniuersall church Notwithstanding it is in more large signification often taken for the whole Catholike church not only of moderne writers but also of the most ancient and holy fathers to witnes wherof I take these few following Saint Ciprian sent the copie of Antonianus letter to Cornelius bishop of Rome Cipr. epistola 52. to assure him that the said Antonian did comunicate with him that is with the Catholike church vt scires illum tecum hoc est cum Catholica ecclesia comunicare where that most learned prelate and glorious Martir put as a thing by it self well knowen that to comunicate with the pope of Rome is to communicate with the Catholike church with him accordeth Saint Ambrose Ambros oratione defratic Satyro relating how his brother Satyrus was cast on shore in Sardinia or therabout where Catholiks and heretiks were blended and mixt together and being desirous to bee baptised by a Catholike Bishop when one was presented to him to do that good office he to trie whâ—ther he were Catholike or no demaunded of him Si cum Catholicis hoc est cum Romanis consentiret If he did agree with the Catholikes that is to say with the Romanes Putting as we do now Roman for a certaine marke and as it were an explication of a true Catholike The like doth Saint Hierom when he asked of Ruffinus what faith hee professed Hic oni Apol 〈◊〉 câ—â— Ruffinum whether that that florished in the church of Rome or that which was contayned in the bookes of Origine Si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus If hee answere the Roman faith then bewe Catholiks and free from the errors of Origen where he setteth the Roman faith to signifie the Catholike faith yea sheweth that of the Roman faith Christians are denominated Catholikes The same doth the auncient christian poet Prudentius chaunt in these verses Fugite o miseri execranda Nouati Schismata Catholicis vos reddite populis Prudent in hymno de Hipolito Vnasedes vigeat prisco quae condita seclo est Quam Paulus tenuit quaÌ„que cathedra Petri. O poore soules from Nouatus cursed schisme do you flie And with speede yeeld your selues vnto the Catholike party That only seate florish which in auncient time founded S. Paul vpheld and where the chaire of Peter was grounded This godly and holy man esteemed it all one to yeeld your self to the Catholike partie and to vnite your self to the sea of Rome So did that puissant Christian Emperor Theodosius the younger when hee exhorted the Bishop of Berca and his followers to declare themselues approued priests of the Roman religion imploing the Roman for the Catholike religion which was with all persons so vsuall and current in those better times Concil Ephesin Tom. 1. c. 10. that even the old rotten Arrian heretikes did by the same name of Roman designe all true
beleeuers as may bee gathered by that godly Historiographer Victor Bishop of vtica in Africke who relateth how locundus to diswade the cruell Arrian Theodoricus Victor vti de pers vand l. 1. the kings sonne from putting a Christian to death vsed these words If you put him to the sword the Romans will honor him for a Martir By the word Romans signifying the true Catholikes And another worthy witnes heerof is Gregory that learned and Zealous Bishop of Toures who citing these words of the Arrians Greg de gloria MartyruÌ„ l. 1. c. 25. Quia ingenium est Romanorum doth enterlace this explication Romanos enim vocitant nostrae religionis homines they do coÌ„monly call men of our religion to wit the true Catholiks by the name of Romans These ancient graue and renowmed authors may serue to convince any reasonable man that the name Roman both anciently did and now verie well maie comprehend all the true beleeuers of the vniuersall world what shall we then say to M. Abbot that in all his reading as he confesseth to the reproch of his ignorance could never light vpon any one that by the Roman church did signify the whole Catholike church He must acknowledg either that there remaineth very much in antiquity which hee hath not yet read or that passing ouer much in post was not at leasure to marke that which made against himself Hee found the East and the west the Greeke and Latin churches but hee could neuer find that by the Roman church was signified the vniuersall church Be it so good Sir bicause you will needs haue it to be so that you through the dimnes of your sight could not discerne that which stands on record in Saint Ciprian Saint Ambrose Saint Hierome and diuers others well knowen and approued Authors doth it there vpon follow that no man els could do it or that I vpon the acknowledgment of your want of reading the fathers was presently blanked and had not a word to say Alas seely man haue you neuer heard of this triviall Adage Bernardus non vidit omnia If that enlightned and Eagle eied Abbot did not see all what maruell though a poore purr-blind Abbot ouersee mistake many things Learne gentle sir by this little not to beare your self to confidently vpon your owne reading be you well assured that there bee many worthy things in antiquitie that you haue not read manie also that you do not vnderstand and not a few if I do not greatly mistake that you having both read and vnderstood yet will not acknowledge for feare of hurting your owne cause Out of the premises it followeth most manifestly that the word Roman taken in that larger signification is no tearme of diminution nor abridgeth the whole vnto a part but is of as large extent and hath the same latitude with the whole Catholike and Orthodox church So that whosoeuer is of the Roman church is a true member of the Catholike church And on the other side whosoeuer will bee esteemed a meÌ„ber of the Catholike church must not refuse to be made a member of the Roman church It only seperateth Catholikes from heretikes Epist 73. who like Apes to vse S. Ciprians tearme counterfeit the Catholike would verie fayne bee so saluted but because they will not acknowledge Epist 45. radicem matricem as the said Doctor speaketh elswhere the originall mother church of Rome they cannot bee liuely branches true children of the same Optatus l. 2. co parmen The Donatists as Optatus wisely noteth because they seperated themselues from the coÌ„munion of the church of Rome avouching their particuler sect to bee the whole church were no part of the whole but lay like rotten boughes cut of from the body of the Catholike church In the same tearmes stand protestants all other sectaries of what sort soeuer they be that after the fashion of Donatists diuide themselues from the same church of Rome and make peculier seperations And if the particular church of Rome would and could forsake their Ancestors faith and divide it self from other Catholike churches as protestants do And neuertheles avouch it self alone to be the whole church then in deed it might well incurr that censure of Optatus But because it cannot so do being by the vertue of our Saviours prayer and continuall assistance of the holy Ghost alwaies preserued from all error in matter of faith therfore it cannot bee separated froÌ„ the rest of the Catholike church as the Donatists were but be perpetually so closelie vnited inseparably associated with it that whosoeuer ioyneth himself with the church of Rome doth euen therby enter in to societie of the whole catholike church which the same ancient prelate Optatus doth teach in these most expresse wordes which I haue cited before Siâ—icius that now sitteth S. Peters successâ—r in the chaire of Rome is our coÌ„panion with whoÌ„ the whole world by enter course of formed letters agreeth with vs in one vniforme societie of comunion Behold how by societie with the Bishop and church of Rome the Bishops of Afrike entred into coÌ„munion and kept correspoÌ„deÌ„ce with the vniuersall church dispersed ouerall the whole world 4 M. Abbot would gladly learne seing that in ancieÌ„t time wheÌ„ there were very manie heresies the additioÌ„ of Catholike was taken for sufficieÌ„t to distinguish the Orthodox from all kind of sectaries why it will not now serue the turne but that RomaÌ„ must bee added thervnto The answere is readie because sectaries bee waxen more audacious now theÌ„ they were of old for in S. Austins daies Aug 〈◊〉 til cred c. 7. albeit the heretikes c ueted to be called Catholikes and so did call themselues putting names of reproch vpon the true beleeuers as Protestants vse to do now yet as the same most trustie Doctor witnesseth when any stranger came to demaund of them which was the Catholike congregation Idem de vera rel c. 7. they alwaies directed and sent them to the true Catholike not to their owne well knowing that hee who enquired after the Catholikes meant not their sect neither could they otherwise bee well vnderstood vnles they called the true church by the same name as it was called all the world ouer But the heretikes of our times having put on more brasen faces then their predecessors though there be no vniuersality neither of time place or people in their congregations yet forsooth will needs bee called Catholiks by Antiphrasis or contraries belike vt Lucus dicitur a Lucendo quia minime lucet lucus that is Latin for a wood is deriued of lumen light because in it is litle light so Protestants may be named vniuersalists bicause there is among them litle or no kind of vniuersality To the purpose then to declare what manner of Catholiks we meane wee add Roman to signifie that we vnderstaÌ„d not a counterfeit or corner catholike that lay lurking in obscurity for a thousand yeres
that I will do that for him which hee blinded with self loue imagined impossible for any man to do to wit I will put downe his argument more cleerly and formerly then he hath done himself as every scholler that can Iudge of the forme of an argument may easily perceaue in this manner No part can be the whole but the church of Rome is but a part to wit the head of the church Ergo it cannot be the whole This his so often repeated argument without any new fortificatiō needs no other refutatiō than that which hath been once or twice giuen before Thus at length we come to the end of M. Abbots first chapter which was diuided into fower sections or parts and haue by the helpe of Gods good grace both defended and proued that supreme commanding power of Iurisdiction which consisteth in the chief government of Christs church vpon earth to haue been by our blessed Saviour first established and placed vpon the person of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles that there should be perfect vnity in his Ecclesiasticall kingdome then that the same might endure not for tearme of S. Peters life only but alwaies continue vnto the worlds end He ordained that S. Peters successors the Bishops of Rome should enioy the same soveraigne authority ouer the whole Catholike church vntill the worlds end which I made good specially by the confession and acknowledgment of the greatest Patriarks most learned and best approued Prelats of the East churches because the better learned Protestants do after a manner grant vnto the Bishop and pope of Rome Of this read more in the note at the end of this chapter as patriarch of the west supreme authoritie and Iurisdiction ouer all the west churches Moreouer because the protestants do all and some obiect that fact of the African Bishops wherin they seemed to deny appeales of all vnder the degree of Bishops vnto the court of Rome as an argument of great moment against the said supreme commanding power of the sea of Rome I haue produced testimonies of the most ancient and best learned Bishops and Doctors of the African church averring the Iurisdiction of the church of Rome ouer themselues and their countrie So that there can remaine no scruple in the vpright and iudicious Readers vnderstanding but that the Bishop of Romes supremacy hath been acknowledged witnessed and obeyed all the world ouer even in the pure times of most florishing Christianity And consequently that all they who desire to bee sound and perfect Catholiks must imbrace and professe the faith and religion of the same Roman church or els be content to bee reckened in the rew of hereticall or schismaticall Congregations And as in this life they willingly take part with them in their schisme and errors so they may assure themselues vnles God giue them grace to repent to bee against their wils sorted with them in the finall separation at the last day and to haue their vnlucky lott with them in the lake euer burning with fire and brimstone from which our most mercifull Lord and sweet Saviour Christ Iesus deliuer all them that professe his truth and holy name Amen M. Richard field Doctour of diuinity in his fift book of the church printed at london 1610. of the bishop and church of Rome hath these positions FIrst in the 32. chapter that the Bishop of Rome doth succeed S. Peter in the Bishoprique of the City and in the honour of being one of the prime Bishops of the world Secondly in the 34. chapter that the church of Rome was head of all churches that is first in order and honour among them but not in absolute supreme commaunding power 3 That the same church was in more speciall sort head of such churches as were within the Patriarchship of Rome as was all the west church To which effect his maiesty of England our soueraigne lord writeth to all Christian Monarches Pag 46. If there were yet question among the Patriarches for the first place I would with all my hart giue my consent that the Bishop of Rome should haue the first seat I being a westerne king would go for the patriarch of the west 4 That the Bishop of Rome had the care of all churches not as absolute supreme commaunder but as most honorable among the Bishops who were first to be sought vnto in matters requiring a common deliberation and from whom all things generally concerning the state of the whole church were either to take beginning or at the least to seek confirmation before they were generally imposed and prescribed The same Doctour in his preface to the reader teacheth that to compose variances rising between Patriarches and their Bishops or among themselues he that was in order and honour before the rest might lawfully interpose himself and in his synode iudg of such differences And in such cases as could not be so ended or that concerned the faith and the state of the whole vniuersall church there remained the iudgment and resolution of a generall councell wherin the Bishop of the first sea that is the Bishop of Rome was to sitt as President and moderatour Obserue how easily that which we teach of popes the supremacy may be gathered out of these principles for if it appertaine vnto the Bishop of Rome as prime Patriarch to compose the differences rising betwixt other Patriarches and their Bishops if he must be principally sought vnto for finall resolutions in matter of faith if care of all churches belong to him and from him all thinges generally concerning the state of the whole church were either to take beginning or els to seek confirmation let any vnderstanding man exercised in gouernment tell me how Patriarches and Bishops may be conuented to appeare without commaunding authority and how without compelling power the popes finall determinations would be of all parties obeied THE SECOND CHAPTER M. ABBOT The comparisons betweene the Donatists and Papists iustified and enlarged page 51. R. AB IT is a meere vsurpation wherby the Papists call the Roman church the Catholike church and the same that the Donatists of old did They held the Catholike church to be art Cartenna in Africk and the Papists hold it to be at Rome in Italy W. B. THis cōparison is a fond new deuise of M. Abbot wherin there is skarce one spark either of wit or learning wherfore it deserued rather to be abridged or wholy cāceld then to haue been enlarged Iustified it can never bee because it hath not many true words in it Take a tast of this first branch which is false on both sides for neither was Cartenna in Africa but in Mauritania nor did the Donatists hold their pretended Catholike church to bee at Cartenna but esteemed the Rogatists who so much magnified Cartenna to be wicked Schismatiks altogether vnworthy the name or communion of their supposed Catholik church as S. Austin M. Abbots owne author doth testifie Aug. Epist 48. in the place
cited by himself was hee not then fowly mistaken to father such a strange vntruth vpon S. Augustin And on the other side is it not a prodigious impudent assertion to avouch that wee Catholiks do maintaine the Catholike church to be inclosed within the walls of Rome or confined in those quartiers as the Rogatists did their church to be concluded within the Coastes of Cartenna wheras we teach it to bee dispersed all the world ouer R. AB I Confesse I committed some oversight by vnderstanding that generally of the Donatists which belonged only to the Rogatists Let this be amended thus The Donatists did set vp a particular church all of them first in the south of Africa some afterward as the Rogatists at Cartenna in Mauritania And so haue the Papists done at Rome in Italy Against which M. Bishop giues two exceptions First that they do not hold the Catholike church to be inclosed within the wals of Rome as the Rogatists did theirs within Cartenna but do say that it was dispersed all the world ouer wheras the Rogatists congregation was holden to be confined within the bounds of Cartenna The first part of which answere on their behalf is false and the second part concerning the Rogatists is vayne for it is false that the Romish church is dispersed over all the world because the Greeke and Easterne churches disclaime subiection to the church of Rome and although the communion of the church of Rome be farr larger then that was of the Rogatists at Cartenna yet doth neither of them containe any more then a part And we cannot doubt but that the Rogatists would as wâ—llingly haue had the whole world to ioyne with their church as the Romans And so it was not by position of doctrine that their church was not of larger extent but forwant of better successe And the exprobration of the same mad fancy lieth vpon the church of Rome to wit that whosoeuer in the further parts of the world shal be desirous of salvation vnles hee come to Rome or into some place where hee may meete with a Popish priest he cannot be baptised or reconciled to God As touching the second exception though it bee not generally true that the Donatists placed the Catholike church at Cartenna yet it is not altogither vntrue because the Rogatists were a kind of Donatists albeit devided from them by schisme Againe although the Donatists did not place the Catholike church at Cartenna yet they designed the place therof to bee Africa for albeit they acknowledged the church by the Apostles preaching to haue been spred ouer all the world yet they held that it was perished in all other parts of the world and onlie remained with their part in Africa they did not exclude the rest of the world out of their communion so they would be of their opinion The foundation of their church was laid in Africa and from thence they would haue it dispersed all the world ouer In the same sort standeth the mattr with the Papists they tell vs that the other patriarchall seas are all either extinguished or fallen into Schisme and the Roman church only remayning whence all other churches of the world are to be reduced to the Pope They tell vs of strange wonders done amongst the Indians whither they know it vnlikly for vs to come to search out the truth but those nations pretended to be converted by them are either colonies of their owne or some Infidels forced to accept of Baptisme without religion or such as by wiles they haue surprised Thus is M. Bishop by avoyding to be a Donatist by putting the matter ouer to the Rogatists become both a Donatist and Rogatist by tying the seate of the Catholike church to one only particular place W. B. M. Abbot perceiuing well that hee had behaued himself exceeding drowsily in that comparison between the Donatists and Catholikes yet being as it seemeth over farr in loue with his owne conceit simple though it were would not so giue it ouer but to make vp the full measure of his folly will needs go forwards with it and endevoreth not only to iustify that which he had before written but doth also make some new additions If I could perswade my self that my time should bee fruitfully spent in answering him at leÌ„ght I would not desire greater advantage to be given mee to display and laie open to the view of the world his lacke of Iudgment lacke of learning and lâ—cke of honestie but considering that this coÌ„parison can be no great matter of edification to the Reader I hold it not worthy anie amplification but will abridg it as much as I may yet so that no substantiall point of it be left vnanswered M. Abbot not finding any poore meanes to vnderproppe his palpable absurdities is driven to confesse them in the very first branch and doth therfore post that over to the latter place and preposterously maketh answere before vnto the secoÌ„d part of the comparison which was that we Roman Catholiks do not tie the Catholike church to the City of Rome as the Rogatists did theirs to Cartenna For we hold that men may be baptised and saued in anie part of the world without repayring to the City of Rome or to the coastes adioyning neere thervnto wheras the Rogatists did hold that in what part soever of the world any persoÌ„ were coÌ„verted he must of necessity go vnto CarteÌ„na or therabouts to bee baptised and obtaine salvation To which M. Abbot replies that the former part on our behalf is false because our church is not spred ouer all the world and therfore saluation cannot bee gotten all the world ouer for that to obtaine salvation as he saith a popish priest must needs be fouÌ„d out This reply is not to the purpose For whether our church bee spred ouer all the world or no of which more shal be said presently yet it is certainly knowen to be in diuers great monarchies besids Italy in all which if any person be to be baptised or reconciled we send them not to Rome to receiue those sacraments but administer them in the place where the person is by the inspiration of God converted which is cleane contrarie to the doctrine of the Rogatists that exacted the personall repaire of all such convertites to Cartenna or to her confines which doth most cleerly ouerthrow M. Abbots answere Yet to bolster out his flaggy resemblance he addeth that it was not by position of doctrine that the Rogatists forced all convertits to come into that country but because they had not any Bishops of their sect els where which if they had had as no doubt they desired to haue then they who were touched with the preaching of the Gospell might haue been baptised by them in any other country where these godly prelats were To which I reioyne that had there been Rogatists all the world ouer as they desired to bee theÌ„ there had beeÌ„ no place for this braÌ„ch of the
comparison which likeneth the Roman Catholikes to the Rogatists in that they bee both of them priuate and confined within the compasse of some particular places M. Abbot therfore full wisely goeth about to vphold his former resemblance by the quite ouerthrow of it for herein said he before stands the resemblance betwene the Papists and Rogatists that both of them do restraine the vniuersality of the Catholike church to one particular place or country And now confessing the Papists coÌ„munion and fellowship to be farre larger theÌ„ the Rogatists he flies to this silly shift that the Rogatists desire to haue their church as largly extended as the Romanists that is both of them all the world ouer So that the wind being come round about and sitting now in the cleane contrary corner the resemblance is to be turned the other way to wit that as the Roman church desireth to be spred all the world ouer so did the Rogatists But good Sir tell me I pray you is it sufficient to make a church Catholike to desire to be dilated all the world ouer Then without doubt not only Rogatists but all other sectaries too were also Catholiks for none of them suerly wanted that desire yet being bastard slips and destitute of that vertue which proceedeth by the trunck of true succession from the right roote they could neuer be generally receiued all the world ouer and therfore could not bee called Catholikes wheras the Roman church ingraffed by the Apostles in to the true Oliue Christ Iesus through the force of his blessed passion and by power of the holy Ghost hath not only desired to spred her branches into all nations but hath actually performed that her holy desire for truth is strong and doth prevaile wherfore it alone hath worthily archieued the name of Catholike which all other congregations haue in vaine gaped after and desired Obserue by the way M. Abbots grosse ignorance in two points of our doctrine the former when he imagineth vs to hold that no man can be baptised to saluation without hee meet with one of our priests wheras we teach the Baptisme even of Protestants be they men be they women to bee availeable to saluation The latter in that he affirmeth vs to hold the same of reconciliatioÌ„ we teaching that any person of discretion may by true contrition and repentance obtaine saluation albeit they cannot meete with any priest Let therfore these his assertions be scored vp for an after reckening Now to the second exception albeit the Rogatists were a Cantell or fragment broken out of the Donatists yet they by their division from them forsooke the name of Donatists and tooke their owne proper name of Rogatists and in that question of the true church were at open warr with the Donatists so that it was a grosse ouersight in M. Abbot to say the Donatists held the Catholike church to bee at Cartenna Because they esteemed no better of that church at Cartennna then of a den of theeues In like manner they of Cartenna reputed the Donatists for damned creatures wherfore albeit the Rogatists in some other matter wherin they did agree with the Donatists might haue passed vnder that generall name yet they could not in that point wherin they were at so great square It is then cleere that M. Abbots error therin cannot bee excused well if he hath hitherto behaued himself like one that being half a sleepe knew not well what he said yet now being awaked by his aduersary hee will no doubt spitt on his fingers and take better hold secundae enim cogitationes sunt prudentiores To it then Iollie Sir touch the Papists home and if you cannot force the Rogatists vpon them yet driue them at the least to be Donatists and you shall do somewhat That saith M. Abbot I will easely performe by this new framed resemblance like as the Donatists held the Catholike church to haue perished in all other countries and to haue remayned only with their part in Africa and desired that from thence it might be spred into all other nations Even so the papists tell vs that the churches in all the farr parts of the world haue failed that the patriarchall seas are all fallen away and only the Roman remayneth whence the rest are to be reduced to the obedience of the pope This loe seemes to be something True it is that the Donatists did in many things things counterfeit the true Catholiks and among the rest pretended as all other heretiks coÌ„monly do that their congregation was the only true reformed church and that the readie way to saluation was to enter into their society But this is so triviall and common aswell to the true Catholike as to all maner of disseÌ„bling coÌ„gregatioÌ„s that hee who delights to enlarge himself therin shall but loose his time abuse his reader and purchase to himself the reputation of a trifler yet let vs desceÌ„d to the particulars of this new coyned comparison and see whether it will abide the touch ar noe The Roman church and the Donatists did not agree in the first point of that resemblance for wheras the Donatists held the church to haue perished all the world ouer saving in some part of Africk the Roman Catholike doth not hold the true church to haue perished all the world over saving in Italy or in some parts of Europe but teacheth that it hath alwayes continued and even in this last hundreth yeeres to haue gained more both in the East and west Indies then it hath lost in these parts of the world Secondly it is not long sithence all the patriarchall seas did opeÌ„ly agree with the church of Rome to wit in the yeare of our Lord god 1439. as may be seen in the councell of Florence and by the profession of faith which Ioseph patriarch of Constantinople Concil florent sess 25. then and there made in these words whatsoeuer the Catholike church of our Lord Iesus Christ which is of old Rome doth beleeve and worship Ioseph miseratione diuina Constan Patriarcha Quoniam ad extremum vitae mea perueni idcirco pro meo munere dilectis filijs benignitate dei meam sententiam his literis palam facio Nam quae Iesu Christi catholica Apostolica Ecclesia Roma veteris sentiat ac celebrec omnia me quoque sentire credereque profiteor at ipsis plurimum acquiâ—sco Beatissimum autem Patrum Patrem ac Summum Pontificem Romaque veteris Papam domini nostri Iesu Christi vicarium esse concedo c. datum Florentiae 8. Iulij anno 1439. all the same do I confesse my self to beleeue and thinke and thervnto do yeeld my perfect consent And I do further confesse the most blessed father of fathers the chief Bishop and pope of Rome to bee the vicar of our lord Iesus Christ To these points of doctrine and to all other of the church of Rome did at the same time subscribe the legats and deputies of the other
word as Donatisticall left it wholy to the Donatists wherfore let the indifferent reader iudg who dealeth more soundly in the exposition of this word Catholike whether I that do follow S. Austin in his more advised and riper iudgment Or M. Abbot that would haue him followed in that he taught being yet young and which hee himself afterward vpon better consideration thought good to alter Is it not a signe of most wilfull blindnes to alledge that as imitable out of an Author which hee himself advisedly corrected and taught to bee abhorred THE THIRD SECTION W. B. THE third particle of the resemblance M. Abbot hath couched in these words That as from Cartenna the Donatists did send Bishops to other countries even to Rome it self so from Rome by the papists order Bishops be authorised to all other countries This is of small moment if it were true But I read not in S. Austin that the Rogatists sent any Bishops from Cartenna into other coasts but rather required men of all other places to come to their quarters if they would obteyne Saluation That then may passe for another ouersight Neither bee all Catholike Bishops consecrated at Rome and thence sent into other countries but they be ordinarily made in every Catholike countrie though to preserve vnity and good order their election bee approued by the Bishop of Rome Christs vicar generall on earth and supreme pastor of his church R. AB §. 3. PVT Africa in steed of Cartenna and then M. Bishop can say nothing against the resemblance August epist 48. I not weighing the matter so strictly did put Africa for the third part of the world and in that signification Cartenna is within Africa well let Cartenna be put out bicause Libia and Mauritania refused to be called by the name of Africa as Austin noteth and let it run thus The Donatists sent Bishops out of Africa to dwell at Rome or some Bishops out of Africa to create some other bishops of their faction at Rome So doth the church of Rome send Bishops into all other countries of their religion or if they do not send such bishops abroad yet in that Bishops made in other countries must haue the Bishop of Rome his confirmation it is all one as if hee had sent them from thence w. B. well seing the poore man acknowledgeth his error let him be pardoned Let Cartenna and the Rogatists who only raigned there bee changed into the Donatists of Africa That silly excuse that Africa contaynes the third part of the world might be to purpose if Africa had been sett for Cartenna Continens pro contento but Cartenna was set for Africa which being so obscure a part of Africa could not decently be put for the whole wherfore M. Abbot hath reason to wish Cartenna to be blotted out and so might hee haue done by all these resemblances had not his fingers itched to blase abroad his owne folly As for his reformation of it though he saw the disproportion yet could he not let it alone For he was not ignorant that most Catholike Bishops neither went to Rome to be there consecrated nor were consecrated by any Bishops that came from thence As all the Donatists were either consecrated in Africa or els by Bishops who were sent out of Africa to consecrate them what salve then hath hee for this sore Mary that it is all one to haue the popes confirmation and to be consecrated by Bishops sent from Rome Some what like hee might haue said but not all one for to approue the election of a Bishop and to elect a bishope or to consecrate him bee farr different things as every man that is acquainted with these matters can readily tell I admit Donatists would gladly haue had Bishops of their owne sect in every countrie that they might haue had no need to send Bishops out of Africa to consecrate them in other places And thervpon I do inferr that euen therby they were convinced not to bee Catholikes bicause their pastors preachers were not vniversally spred ouer all countries contrarywise the Roman church is proued to be Catholike because it had in everie country Bishops of their owne faith and communion So that M. Abbot winding and turning on both sides to get out of the briars doth still more and more intangle and fasten himself in the same §. 4. w. B. THe fourth point of M. Abbots comparison is this The Donatists would be taken to bee Catholiks for keeping communion with the church of Cartenna even so will the Papists for holding society with the church of Rome The former point of the resemblance is too too absurd for the Donatists abhorred the Conventicle of Cartenna as schismaticall as hath been often repeated And the secōd part taken as true proportion requireth is not perfect for wee should not esteeme men Catholiks for communicating with the church of Rome if that communion were closed vp within the wals of Rome or within her confines as the Rogatists were pinned vp in Cartenna but for that by communicating with the church of Rome wee do enter into communion with all other churches of the same religion which are spred over all the world R. AB I Said the Donatists I should haue said the Rogatists who expounding the word Catholike for integrity and perfection of faith as before wee haue seen and affirming themselues only to be Catholiks left it as a consequent that none could bee called Catholiks but by ioyning with them The Donatists were in the same error concerning their church in Africa The Papists are like vnto them both who plead the same for the church of Rome but M. Bishop tels vs that they do not call men Catholiks for communicating with the church of Rome if it bee taken for that particular church which is closed within the wals of Rome which is contrary to that hee taught himself a litle before For he taught before that men became Catholikes by holding the Roman faith and communicating with the church of Rome but to shift ouer this hee addeth that therfore they become Catholiks in communicating with the church of Rome bicause that by that communion they enter into societie with all other churches of the same religion which are dispersed all the world ouer But against this it may bee said that thē men do not now become Catholike as they did of old because of old it was enough to communicate with the church spred ouer the world but now it is to be added that by cōmunication with the church of Rome wee must communicate with the church spred ouer all the world what if the church of the whole word do not hold communion with the church of Rome as when Arrianisme had in a manner ouerflowed all the world and when the East and west churches were deuided from Rome and before the brood of Ignatius had converted the Indians whence was the name of Catholike to bee taken then Put the case that all other
churches saue the Roman do err as they say they maie how shall a man then in communicating with the Roman communicate with all other churches then must you needs saie that by communicating with that particular church of Rome you do become Catholike finally M. Bishop doth overthrow himself For if a man become a Catholike by communicating with the church of the whole world and by coÌ„municating with the church of Rome he doth communicate with the church of the whole world then communicating with the particular church of Rome the name of Catholike doth belong to him To be short if the Donatists could haue had their way they would not haue doubted to say asmuch of their church as M. Bishop doth hereof his to wit that men should bee called Catholiks by communicating with the African church not as it was contained within the bounds of Africa but for that in communicating with that church you did enter into communion with all other churches spred over all the world w. B. IN the forefront of this chapter M. Abbot ingraued this title The comparison betwixt the Donatists and Papists iustified And yet we see in the beginning of euery section an open confessioÌ„ of some fault made by himself in the same comparison I said the Donatists I should haue said the Rogatists c well though it cannot be denied but that this is a very simple kind of Iustification yet I am content it passe for some kind of satisfaction be it permitted to M. Abbot for a sory shift to flit vp and downe before from the Rogatists in Mauritania to the Donatists in Africa now back againe from the Donatists to the Rogatists who saith hee did expound the word Catholike of perfection of faith which to haue been otherwise I haue shewed in the second section of this chapter well those honest Rogatists affirmed themselues only to bee true Catholiks and by consequence held none to be Catholikes but such as ioyned with them So did the Donatists in Africa The Papists do the like for their church therfore they resemble the Donatists And do not the protestants put in the same plea for their church therfore they be also Donatists And did not the old Arrians affirme and say asmuch in favour of their church were they also Donatists Is not this then a proper resemblance betwixt the Donatists and Papists that will agree vnto all kind of sects yea vnto the true Catholike church it self to which alone in deed it doth rightfully apperteine yet it is vsuall to all sectaries that take their errors for truth to qualify and grace their sect with the title of the true reformed church This resemblance then is so triviall that a man of any sharpnes of wit would haue been ashamed to haue framed it But if M. Abbots inventioÌ„ were dry and dull when he proposed that we shall now find it fluent and acute in reproving what I answered of the church of Rome to wit If the communion of the church of Rome passed not out of the wals of Rome then by communicating with the church of Rome wee should not become Catholiks But bicause it is farr otherwise with the church of Rome then it was with the church of Cartenna and that in communicating with the church of Rome we enter into the communion of the church dilated all the world ouer therfore wee become Catholiks in communicating with the church of Rome about which M. Abbot makes a foule fumbling but in fine cannot impeach it hee saith first it is contrary to that which I had before taught viz to communicate with the church of Rome was to become Catholike But this hee saw to be so simple that hee corrected it himself presently for I never said otherwise but by communicating with the Roman church wee became Catholiks And my reason alwaies was bicause the communion of the church of Rome did reach into all the coasts of the earth He giueth the second assaut against it by averring that therof it would ensue that one became Catholike now a dayes otherwise then of old bicause then it was sufficient to communicate wâ—â—h the church dispersed ouer all and now wee must communicate with the church of Rome to communicate with the church spred ouer all Is not this a high point and a very great subtiltie when one doth communicate with the church spred ouer all doth hee not euen then communicate with the church of Rome also that is the chief of them all Or was there any time since the Apostles dayes when there was no church of Rome that one might haue communicated with the church spred ouer all and yet not haue communicated with the church of Rome Yea did not they that wrote against the Donatists I meane S. Austin and Optatus make speciall instance in the communion of the church of Rome aswell as I do now to proue their societie with the whole Catholike church S. Austin saith of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage who was principally oppugned by the Donatists that hee holding communion with the church of Rome as with the chiefest Apostolicall chaire needed not care for the conspiracy of the Donatists agâ—â—nst him And Optatus speaketh iust to the same sence that I do In the Bishop of Rome the whole world doth accord together with vs in one society of communion Note how in those old daies by coÌ„munion with the pope church of Rome the prelatâ— in Africa esteemed themselues to hold communion with the whole world M. Abbot puts forth a new case what if the church of the whole world do not hold communion with the church of Rome as it was when Arrianisme did ouerflowe the whole world Then at least by holding communion with Rome one held not communion with the church of the world M. Abbot is content to leaue the Donatists to dreame awhile and flieth for aduantage to the Arrians but they will helpe him no more then did the Donatistes For though their heresies infected many cities countries and drew many Bishops to their party yet M. Abbot I thinke can hardly name mee any one city of the world so wholy possessed with that Arrianisme that it had not at the same time many true beleeuers in it that would not ioyne in faith and religion with the said ArriaÌ„s but stuck close to the church of Rome and to all other true beleeuers The like we say of the Easterne churches when they fell into schisme and heresie that albeit the outward face of their congregations were schismaticall yet there remained alwaies in those countries as there do now in England very manie that did coÌ„stantly defend and embrace the Roman religion The Indians for the most part of late time were converted yet many millions of soules were wonne vnto Christian religion in the west and East Indies by good priests Franciscan Fryers and other religious men before any mission of Iesuits were sent into that heavenly haruest as the Indian storie doth testifie yea before their
society was established and coÌ„firmed If through the abundance of iniquitie it should come to passe that the Catholike religion should bee cleane rooted out of many countries for I make no doubt but that it shall also continue in many besids Rome vnto the worlds end yet those countries that retaine the auncieÌ„t faith shall also kepe the old title and name of the Catholike church though their faith be not then spred ouer all the world Because it was the same faith which had been in time past preached and beleeued ouer all for no man holdes it necessarie that at one and the same time it should be imbraced of all nations The Donatists I grant if they might haue had their way would haue ouersowed their tares in the fields of all countries They lacked not good will then no more then the protestants do now to sow their cockle farr neere but with all their tossing and turmoyling they were not able to infect half Africa only God sending vnto curst cowes short hornes and not yeelding such successe to the false doctrine of vaine men as to his own divine word when will M. Abbot take out this lesson that the church is called Catholike not because it desireth and wisheth to bee spred ouer all but for that it is so really and actually at one time or another which the Donatists protestaÌ„tes nor any other sectaries were yet ever able to compasse but must perforce whether they will or no leaue that singuler priviledge vnto the RomaÌ„ church THE FIFTH SECTION W. B. THe fifth branch of the comparison M. Abbot doth propose in this manner As the Donatists held there could be no salvation out of the church of Cartenna so the Papists hold there can bee none out of the church of Rome this is minced out of the fourth and in the like sort to bee confuted It is a principle receiued of both Catholiks and sectaries that there is no saluation out of the true church no more then there was life to be hoped for out of the Arke of Noe. Sectaries do attribute that salvation ech vnto their owne church But the church of Rome as hath been heertofore largly proued hath alwaies been and ever shal be a principal member of the same true Catholike church wherfore whosoeuer doth not hold communion with the church of Rome he is out of the state of salvation according to that memorable sentence of S. Hierom written vnto pope Damasus I following no chief but Christ Hieronim Epist 57. ad Damasum Papam Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudim tuae id est cathedrae Petri communione censocior super illam Petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio quicunque extra haue domum agnum comederit profanus est si quis in arâ—ha Noâ— non fuerit peribit regnante diluuio ioyne in communion with your holines that is with the chaire of S. Peter vpon this rocke I knowe the church of Christ to bee built whosoeuer doth eate the Paschall lambe out of this house hee is profane he that is not found within the Arke of Noe shal bee drowned when the flouds do rise where is much more to the same purpose R. AB M. Bishop acknowledgeth the Donatists to haue been of opinion that to obtaine salvation one must communicate with their church what then hindreth but that the resemblance standeth good for the Papists bee of the same mind touching their church but he saith that the Donatists and all other sectaries do vntruly atttibute to their congregations that which is truly appropriated vnto the church of Rome which was and is the chief member of the Catholike church so was Ierusalem the chief member of the sinagogue and yet it put Christ to death in that communion then there was no salvatioÌ„ Is not a cheif member of the same substance with the rest of the body and what hindreth then but that the chief member may aswell as the rest bee corrupted and wounded notwithstanding I desire him to proue that it is the chiefe member I regard not what humane estimation it hath had for the eminencie of the place But with god there is no more respect of the church of Rome then of any other church If they will haue any more Aug de vnit ecâ—l cap. 6. let them reade it to vs out of the scriptures as saint Austin said to the Donatists But they loue not to bee called vpon for scriptures hee hath out of Ierome that he ioyned with the pope of Rome that is with Peters chaire bicause vpon that rocke hee knew the church of Christ to bee built and that hee was prophane and not of Christs flocke that out of that house did eate Christ the Paschall lambe and further that hee who dwelled not in that Arke should be drowned To the which I answere that albeit Ierome did ioyne with Damasus yet hee would not haue ioyned with Liberius whom hee reporteth to haue subscribed to the Arrian heresie wherfore Ierom did warely expound himself that hee gaue the primacy to none but to Christ Hiero. in Catalogo In fellowship of faith hee ioyned with Damasus yet no further then hee followed the doctrine of S. Peter which hee signifieth by adding the chaire of Peter Hee would not haue ioyned with pope Liberius because though hee were Bishop of Rome yet hee sate not in Peters chaire that is he held not the doctrine which Peter taught Of S. Peters chaire in Rome wâ— deeme the same as of S. Peters chaire in Antioch wherin then sate Paulinus yet Ierome there disclaimeth Paulinus because hee taught not the doctrine of Peter vpon Peters faith and confession it is that Ierom knew the church to be built as Erasmus vpon that Epistle verie well noteth Not vpon Rome for Rome also may hap to degenerate The communion of this faith is the house wherin Christ our Paschall lambe must be eaten And the Arke of Noe to saue vs. So long as the pope shall hold the doctrine of Peter wee will ioyne with him But M. Bishop can shew vs no warrant that the church of Rome shall alwaies continue in the doctrine of Peter and therfore his coÌ„clusion that out of the church of Rome there is no salvation is but a vayne presumption w. B. ALbeit the resemblance were true because heretikes in some things are like vnto true beleeuers yeâ— it was nought worth because it maketh the Catholiks no more like to the Donatists then vnto any other sort of sectaries nay then vnto the verie true church of Christ in whose participation only there is that salvatioÌ„ which all sectaries do vainly pretend to be found in their companie That the church of Rome is the chief and principall member of the Catholike church and that it never did nor never shall faile in matter in faith I haue already proued at large not onlie by the depositions of the most and best approued ancient fathers and Doctors both of the Greeke
meant to make himself a God Optat. l 3 co Parm. Cum per solum deum soleāt homines iurare passus est homines per se iurare tanquam per deum Ibid. Omnes discipulos suam Partem appel labat etc. quasi iam populum cum deo diuiserat among the rest hee would haue men to sweare in his name as Christian men vse in lawfull causes to sweare by the name of God Besides hee tearmed all of his sect pars mea my part seuering them as Optatus takes it from the part of Christ and people of God in these points specially according to Optatus did hee aspire to bee like God what pope did euer the like they are so farre of from parting stakes with Christ as that they professe themselues to bee the seruants of all Christs seruants And who was euer yet required to sweare by the popes name so that M. Abbot by multiplying such lame halting similitudes must needs looke for little credit of either iudgment or honesty R. AB SEcondly the Donatists tooke vpon them that they had alwaies been possessors of vnity and of the church of God insomuch as they reckened Nero Domitian and the rest to haue been persecutors of their church wheras their beginning to bee Donatists was after the time of those persecutions No otherwise do the papists take vpon them to haue been alwaies the church of God and that their Martirs were slayne wheras their beginning to bee papists which properly is for worshipping their Lord God the pope is of farr latter time c. W. B. VVhat a ridiculous and lowsie resemblance is this First it differeth little from that which hath been said three times before at the least that the Donatists take their church for the true church therfore it deserues to be let passe as it comes This might haue some grace if it had been applied to the Protestants who take their beginning of a late vpstart Frier not one hūndreth yeres agoe as all the world knoweth and yet blush not to avowch that it was their church that was persecuted 1400 yeres before it was hatched as the Donatists who descending of Donatus would not withstanding haue had the church that was persecuted long before Donatus was borne to haue been their congregation As for the Roman church M. Abbot doth in this chapter as you shall see anon confesse it to haue been alwaies and therfore they may trulie saie even by his own confession that Nero Domitian the rest persecuted their church As for those papists that worship the pope for their God Dic quibus in terris eris mihi magnus Apollo If M. Abbot can tell vs where they dwell or in what land they liued and when what were their names I shall hold him if not for a great Apollo yet for as great an oracle as that of Apollo in the meane season let it run on in the reckening of his other bables and tales R. ABBOT THE Donatists alleaged that Emperors and princes had nothing to do in church matters Optat. l. 3. con Par men held it a great fault in the Catholike Bishops to cōplayne to the Emperor of them what hath the Emperor to do with the church sayd their pope Donatus Aug. con Gaudent l. 2. c. 26. For the teaching of Israël saith Gaudentius God gaue charge to prophets not to kings And Christ sent fishermen and not souldiers for the planting of the faith Thus vpbraiding the Emperors for cōdemning their schisme and vsing force of armes to represse the infinit rage of their mad-braind Circumcellians Of the same humour bee the papists who make princes to be sonnes onlie of the church but no gouernors therof Dist 96. si Imper Kings must learne of Bishops and not teach them what appertaines to Religion because God will haue church matters governed by priests and not by secular powers And Christian Emperors must submit their executions vnto the rulers of the church therfore they hold the comissioners and officers of Princes to bee no competent Iudges in their causes they cary themselues contemptuously towards them c. W. B. THE Donatists are no sure cards to trust vnto in that cause of princes dealing with ecclesiasticall persons and in ecclesiasticall causes Because they maie serue for an example on all sides For like audacious and restles wrangling spirits they did run in that cause frō one extremitie to the other First against the rules and practise of the primitiue church they would needs appeale from the iudgment of Bishops vnto the Emperor hoping by false informations to haue found some vnlawfull fauour in his court a Opt. l. 1. co Parm. Donatus appellandum esse ab episcopis credidit wherof we haue for most soūd witnesses both Optatus in these words Donate the ringleader of the Donatists thought good to appeale from the Bishops to the Emperor And S. Austin who saith of them That they wearied the Emperor with their daily appeales Againe they first of all sued vnto the Emperor then appealed vnto him Aug. ep 166. Quotidia nis interpellationibus ipsi imperatori taedium fecerunt Ibidem A iudicibius Episcopis ad constantinum appellauerūt a quo toties conuicti con fusi redierunt a pernicie furoris nō recesserūt and after all that would not stand to his iudgmēt This was their first attempt wherin they shewed thēselues kindly protestants after wards being beatē with their own rod they began like wiser children to acknowledg that it did not belong to temporall princes to heare and determyne ecclesiasticall causes as their sentēces cited by M. Abbot do declare where if they had staid the Catholike Bishops of those times would not haue blamed them as you shall heare But they fell at last to the other extremity crying out against the Emperor both for punishing their mad-braynd Circumcellians that set churches on fire robbed and murdered and also for that hee came ouer all the Donatists as schismatiks and Heretiks with a pecuniary mulct making them to pay for their obstinate folly for which they cried out against the Emperor and his officers This did the Donatists Now to the applicatiō Both the protestants and wee condēne the Donatists for denying princes to haue temporall power to suppresse seditious persons robbers and murtherers and to punish them that be by the church declared heretiks either by the purse or otherwise But wee differ in the other point The protestants do hold princes to bee supreme iudges aswell in causes ecclesiasticall as temporall and therfore must needs approue of appeales made fro the Bishops to them wee granting to them full soueraigne power in causes tēporall do affirme that they be not ordinarie Iudges in causes Ecclesiasticall I say ordinary because by cōsent of both parties as it was in some causes of the Donatists they maie bee chosen arbitrators or iudges The Donatists held both these opiniōs first that of the protestāts afterwards
ours Now it is to be cōsidered in whether they did well in whether ill To decide this cōtrouersie let vs heare the cēsure of the best Catholike Authors of those times Optatus a most worthy prelate that liued amōg the Donatists Lib 1. con Parm. blamed them greatly for appealing frō the iudgment of Bishops vnto the Emperor constantine the great relateth how the same good Emperor detesteth that their appeale breaking out into these words O furious and mad boldnes they Ad quam appellatio nem constantinus Imperator sic respondit O rabida furoris auda cia sicut in causis gentilium fieri solet appellatio nem inter posuerunt Aug. Ep. 166. Quia constantinus non est ausus de causa episcopi iudicare eam finiendam Episcopis delegauit Idem Epistola 162. Neque est ansus Christianus imperator sic eorum fallaces querelas suscipere vt de iudicio episcorum ipse iudicaret sed alios episcopos dedit a quibus ipsi rursum ad ipsum imperatorem prouocarent quam re illos quemadmodum detestetur audistis eorum peruersitatibus tandem cessit vt de illa causa post episcopos iudicaret a sanctis antitistibus postea veniam petiturus c. like the pagans haue put in an appeale which was from the Bishops to the Emperor S. Austin an other Antagonist of the Donatists in rehearsing the demeanor of the said Emperor towards the same appeale sheweth his owne opinion therabout He first recordeth that the Emperor would not take vpon him to iudge of the iudgments of the Bishops till hee was pressed thervnto by the Donatists impudencie which to represse hee finallie gaue them the hearing yet vnder the correction of the Bishops meaning afterward to craue pardon of them therfore all this that great doctor hath set downe in expresse tearmes further S. Athanasius of this matter vseth these words If the iudgmēt of this cause belōg to Bishops what hath the Emperor to do therwith if contrarywise these thinges be forged by the threates of Emperors what need is there of Bishops when was it euer heard that the iudgmēt of the church took its authority from the Emperour he relateth there this sentēcee of the great Hosius to the Emperor Athanasius epist ad solitar vitam agentes Si istud est iudicium episcoporum quid commune cum eo habet imperator sin contra ista minis Caesaris constantur quid opus est hominibus titulo episcopis quando a condito aeuo auditum est quod iudicium Ecclesiae authoritatē suā ab imperatore accepit ibidem in epistola Hosii ad Imperatorem Ne te misceas ecclesiasticis neque nobis in hoc genere praecipe sed potius ea a nobis disce tibi Deus imperium commisit nobis qua sunt ecclesiae concredidit intermedle not with ecclesiasticall causes nor cōmaund vs in that kind but rather learne those matters of vs God hath giuē you the Empire but hath cōmitted to vs the charge of the church To whō I will ioyne S. Ambrose who to the Emperor Valētinian addresseth this discourse whē haue you heard most gratious Emperor that laymē did iudge ouer Bishops in causes of faith Surely if your sacred maiesty please to pervse the course of holy scriptures or practise of former times you shall find none that deny bishops in matter of faith Ambros l. 2 epist 13. ad Aug. valentin Quando audisti clemētissime imperator in causa fidei laicos de episcopis iudicasse c. At si certe vel scripturarum seriem diuinarum vel vetera tempora retractemus qui◠est qui abnuat in causa fidei in causa inquam fidei Episcopos solere de imperatoribus Christianis non imperatores de episcopis iudicare c. Pater tuus deo fauente vir maturioris atatis qui dicebat non est meu◠iudicare inter Episcopos c. in matter I say of faith to haue been Iudges over Emperors not Emperors ouer Bishops your father being by the fauour of God a man of riper yeres did say it belongeth not to me to iudg ouer Bishops It being then most certain and evident by the verdit of S. Athanasius Hosius S. Ambrose S. Austin and Optatus that the Catholike church in that her natiue purity did mainteyne that opinion that temporall Princes had no authoritie to determyne ecclesiasticall causes The Donatists therin agreed with the true Catholike church and when they did fly from the iudgment of Bishops vnto temporall princes as supreme iudges in causes ecclesiasticall then they traced out the pathway vnto the protestants misbelief and therin were condemned and the protestants in them by the verdict of the most approued Prelats and best learned doctors of the primitiue church Let this then bee scored vp for a principall resemblance betweene the protestants and the Donatists R. AB 4. THe Donatists by false rumors discouraged men from coming to church and gaue out of the Catholike Bishops that some of them at the time of celebration of the sacraments Optatus l. 3. 7. did set an image vpon the aultar or communion table wherat the minds of men were greatly moued and euery one said hee that tasteth therof tasteth of a prophane thing so contrary was it holden to religion then which M. Bishop approueth now to set images vpon the Aultar But in this also the Papists are their followers who in the like sort devise rumors and tales of our divine service to make men abhorre to haue communion with vs. W. B. THis resemblance is more common then the high way For men of what religion soever they bee do seeke out reasons to disswade others from participation in holy rites with all other religions and specially from that which is most contrarie to their owne And neuer were any sectaries that deuised more lewd and vile slanders of any religion then the protestants haue done of the Roman And among others they do vse the verie same motiue of the Donatists to discourage men from going to masse To wit that there are Images in the churches set vpon the high aultars So that M. Abbot in multiplying his resemblances doth but multiply and increase the protestants conformity with the Donatists to the shame of their owne religion what kind of Image that was which the Donatists rumored should bee set vpon the Aultar for of the communion table or of Ministers there was no newes in the old daies of Optatus but of Aultars sacrifice and priests it is not certaine whether it were of Dragons and Leopards such as the protestants set vp in their churches or rather of some false God I cannot find in that Author Only I am assured it could not bee of any holy picture of Christ or of anie of his Saints such as Catholiks place in their churches because long before that in Tertullians daies there was engraven vpon the chalice wherin they offred vp the sacrifice of Christs
blood the picture of Christ in the forme of a good shepheard carrying home the lost sheepe on his shoulders Tertul. de pudicitia cap. 7. 10. as witnesseth Tertulian And that the Crucifixe was set vp in churches in S. Hieroms daies Hieron epist 27. de Epitha Paulae cap. 3. he declares plainly where he recordeth how the most holy widow Paula visiting the holie places was wont to fall downe prostrate before the Crosse and to adore as if she had seen our Lord Iesus hanging on it And Gregory Nazianzene reporteth that his father built to the honor of God a stately church Naz. oratione 19. in laude prat Bas con Iulianum Imper. citatur ab Adriano Act. 2. Niconi 2. Nissen de laudibus Theodor. Chrysost in Liturgia and among other ornaments did decke it with verie goodlie Images S. Basil testifieth the same saying in all our churches wee do set vp the Images of Saints So doth Gregorie Nissene in his oration made in the praise of the Martir Theodore And in the beginning of S. Chrisostomes Liturgie translated by Erasmus it is recorded how the priest turning towards the Image of Christ was to say a certaine praier whence it followeth evidently that the Image of Christ was by the Aultar where that Liturgie or Masse was said wherfore when so many worthy Prelates and Doctors of both greek and Latin church do teach holy pictures to haue been vsuall ornamentes of ChristiaÌ„ churches in those ancient and pure times it remaineth most certaine that true Christians could not bee frighted from Catholike churches by setting any pictures of saints in the same and consequently that which the Donatists spake of must needs bee the Image of some false God or of some monster which they did so much abhorre R. AB 5. THe Donatists alleadged their owne councels assembled by their owne authority against the Maximianists their owne schismatiks August epâ—st 162. and against the Bishops of the Catholike church Even so do the Papists alledge against vs their owne conventicles W. B. HEre is falshood vpon falshood for albeit the Donatists did alleadg their owne couÌ„cels against the Maximianists that were fallen from them as the protestants do their new articles and Canons against their schismatiks the Puritans yet M. Abbot cited no place to proue that they alledged their owne councels against the Catholiks No more do wee vse to produce against Protestants any late councel of ours or any late Catholike Author otherwise then to verify what our doctrine is and what they do teach neither can hee take any iust exception against the councell of Trent if it should bee produced against them as consisting wholy of men of our religion because men of their party might haue been there present if they had so pleased For they were requested to come and safe conduct was offered them the surest that could bee devised to perswade them to haue appeared there in their liknes to haue defended their new devised religion but they like valiant men feared to shew their face before that most learned assembly They lay barking at home out of their owne kennells against it but durst not in disputation encounter with the Catholike Doctors there assembled R. AB 6. THe Donatists not knowing how to make good their rent from the church by argument August epist 137. devised crimes and slaunders against their persons that defended the Catholike partie In the same steps walke the Papists who labour to blemish the names of Luther Calvin Beza and others by whom the Gospell of Christ hath been defended W. B. THis proper resemblance is borrowed out of the common of Dunses and by none more practised then by protestaÌ„ts who litle spare the name or fame of any Catholike writer against them how high in dignity how holy and learned soeuer hee bee Nay they are not ashamed to professe openly to the world that they take a speciall pride in railing against vs. Luth. Con. Sicarium Dresdâ—nsem Let this one sentence of their great maister Martin Luther serue for a pregnant proofe therof I saith hee regard not his complaints that in my booke there are few other things then taunts reproches and devils for this ought to bee my glorie and from henceforth so will I haue it reputed of mee that I am full of revyling taunting and cursing the papists for I will exercise my self against those knaues in taunts and curses even to my graue And out of Calvins sweet workes may be piked a volume of vile railing words as big as the bible as Sieur de meres relateth Manifi n. 17. As for Luther himself Calvin and Beza to omit others because M. Abbot for honors sake nameth these three as the three worthies of their new Gospell they are euen by principall men of their owne religion so curried and reuiled that in comparison therof all that the Catholiks do say of them are but fleabitings Take a tast of these fewe First of their holy father frier Luther thus writeth his sanctified sonne Zuinglius in his answer to Luthers book of the Sacrament Resp Zuingly ad l. Luther de Sacrament Here the word of God shall obtayne the victory and not those frantike reproches wherwith thou criest out that wee bee Lutters Devils Lunatike mischievous robbers rebels dissemblers Hyppocrites and what not Thou coynest rules after which the scriptures must bee vnderstood which otherwise thou couldst not alledge for thy purpose c Then he comes to his commendation Thou canst not deny thy self seised with the passion of Anger to rage and to bee mad If thou wilt but soberly vew ouer thine owne booke such a multitude of reproches and swarme of perverse opinions could never flow out of the fountaine of charitie or any reposed premeditation In the meane season I will make it more cleere then the daie light that thou never yeâ— didst know the glittering brightnes of the Gospell Mark this censure of Zuinglius of his master Martin vnles thou hast cleane forgotten it c. Thou adulteratest and corruptest the word of God thou dost imitate the Marcionists and Arrians Thus much out of Zuinglius may serue for blasoning and displaying the armes of his reverend maister Frier Martin Luther Now let vs heare how Doctor Hunneus a very learned Lutheran doth describe and paint out the man of God Iohn Calvin I suppose HuÌ„naeus de Calvino Iudaisante fol. 181. saith hee that Angel of darknes Iohn Calvin to be sufficiently discouered who peeping out of the pitt of hell parâ—lie by his detestable frantike lust of wresting the scripture to the subversion of those fortresses which the Christian religion had against the perfidious Iewes and Arrians Partly by his writing against the sacred Maiestie of Iesus Christ exalted and in part also by his perverse opinion of the whole matter of the Sacraments Finally by his horrible paradoxes of inevitable predestination hath in these latter times darkned no small part of the
sunne as it is in the revelation drawing after him a great number of the starres and pulling them downe headlong with himself into the pit of hell Of Beza thus writeth Conradus Sclusselburg a famous superintendent of the Lutheran church Conrad de Theolog Calviniana lib. 2. arb 1. Theodore Beza in his sacramentary Basiliske against Heshusius which hee entituleth Chrâ—ophagia doth not onlie in the treatise it self take his leaue of all godlines and modestie letting loose all the reynes of railing but in the very title doth vomite vp his blasphemie and diuelish scoffes c in the first six pages and a half hee hath powred out such horrible filthy and beastlie taunts that euen souldiers of his owne band haue wished them to bee suppressed with his bawdy and most vnpure verses made in praise of his harlot Candida Beza hath with his rotten rayling and beastly belching assaulted the most holy testament of the sonne of God He revileth that worthy superintendent Heshusius most spitefully calling him a Buskin or tragicall Polypheme an ape an huge great capped Asse a dog in a bath a most doltish Sophister an impure sicophant a most impudent knaue Finally hee likeneth him to a deuil incarnate that hath belched vp such Satanicall blasphemies that hee trembleth to relate them This may suffice for a scantling to shew how the names of Luther Calvin Beza the great Rabbins of the protestant Gospell be already by no meane men of their owne coate so canuased disgraced and vilified that the iudicious reader may see how litle need we haue to trouble our selues to search after matter against them to make knowen to the world what odious companions they were seing their owne brotherhood do so fully paint them out to the life that any true Christian hart must needs abhorre them And they that will not vpon so faire warning take heed of them fly from them can haue no lawfull excuse of their wilfull and doting folly R. AB PEtilian the Donatist being offended that they were called Donatists retorted vpon the godly Bishops the names of Mensurists and Cecilianists deriued from two principall Bishops of their party Mensurius and Cecilianus Collat. Carth. 3. ca. 30. So the Papists being vexed at that name Papists giuen to them for being wholy at the devotion of the Pope seeke to disgrace vs with the names of Lutherans Zuinglians and Calvinists as though wee were in like sort devoted to Luther Zuinglius and Calvin W. B. HEere M. Abbot being at a low ebbe in steed of the body of the Donatists is fayne to lay hold vpon one of the companie named Petilian to patch vp a paltrie peece of a triviall resemblance where M. Abbots gentle spirit is to be obserued for before hee would touch vs for calling them by their right names either Lutherans Zuinglians or Calvinists because they left the communion of the whole church to imbrace those Arch heretiks doctrine and felowship Hee confesseth ingenuously that the ProtestaÌ„ts before hand had plaid with vs the part of that Donatist Petilian by nicknaming vs Papists For hee saith that wee being angrie with them for giving vs the name Papists did for a revenge call them Lutherans c Ergo hee granteth that they began with vs but were it before or after M. Abbots resemblance may bee most iustly returned vpon themselues For as the Catholiks of those times called those Sectaries Donatists for leaving the communion of the church spred ouer all to follow one Schismaticall fellow called Donate so the protestants that were so sottish as to forsake the faith of the Catholike church to cleave vnto the peevish opinion of some lewd or loose renegate are most worthy to bee called after their blind guids names either Lutherans Zuinglians Calvinists or such like And they to wreake their teene on vs nickname vs Papists wherin albeit they imitate the Donatists yet their inuention is not so proper as was the Donatists who of some one eminent person christened the Catholikes after their names but the protestants cannot tell vs of what one pope or other wee tooke our name If it bee of all the ranke of Popes then haue wee no need to bee ashamed of it for the protestants themselues are not yet become so impudent as to deny thirtie or fortie of the first of them to haue been right beleeuers yea very holy Martyrs or confessors And good reason it is that of the first and best of them the rest should take their names R. AB 8. Aug. co literas Petil l. 2. ca. 43. co Gaudent l 2. c. 28. THe Donatists complained that the revenues bestowed by their ancestors on the churches were taken a way from them and given to the Catholike Pastors The same complaint M. Bishop and his fellowes vse that Bishopricks Deaneries and other benefices founded by men of their religion and to the vse therof are now as they pretend wrongfully taken from them and given to vs. W. B. I Do not find in S. Austin alledged by M. Abbot that the Donatists were founders of Bishopricks or any such like church livings And heretiks bee seldome any such founders but as latter commers do rather intrude wroÌ„gfully into them that were before founded by the Catholiks They complayned without iust cause when they were worthely expelled out of them they pretended in deed that they were lawfully discended of the former Catholike Bishops and that therfore those livings were due to them which would bee iust the protestants case if it should please God to inspire into our Soveraigne Lord king Iames his hart to dispossesse them of their benefices as vsurpers and to restore the dignities and livings founded by Catholiks for the exercise of Catholike religion into the hands of Catholike Bishops and Priests who seeth not therfore how fairly the Donatists did in most things pourtraict their white sons the protestants R. AB 9. THe Rogatists being one part of the Donatists affirmed themselues only to bee Christians even as the Donatists did chaleng to themselues only to bee the church of Christ and so now the Papists esteeme themselues only to bee Christians W. B. THis hath been in effect both obtruded by M. Abbot and by me answered some foure or five times ouer already wherfore is to be now loathed as ouer stale what so me maÌ„ may say in some sense we do not much esteeme but the body of the Catholike church doth not deny heretikes to bee Christians because they bee christened and do hold some points of the Christian faith though such Christians as shall never vnles they amend haue any part with Christ in his kingdome For that they refuse to beleeue many articles of the Christian faith haue seperated themselues from the vnion and communion of Christ his true church R. AB 10. Aug co literas Petilian l. 2. c. 83 l. 2. cap. 71. Epist 106 THe Donatist provoking Emperors by their vntolerable outrages to make lawes against
the head of the cause and propose one similitude betwene the Protestāts and Donatists of that nature and force that if it bee verified no vpright iudge can deny the protestants to bee Donatists indeed This it is S. Austin Optatus and all antiquity do testify that the maine point of the Donatists heresie consisted in this that they affirmed the church of Christ planted by the Apostles to haue perished all the world ouer saving in those coasts of Africa where their party remayned Therfore whosoever mainteynes this error obstinatly though hee faile in no other article of belief hee is a very Donatist And whosoeuer should vphold all the branches mentioned by M. Abbot or any other that any man els can produce if hee do not maintaine this to wit that the Catholike church is perished in most parts of the world hee can neuer be come a Donatist the reason is most euident because hee doth not concord with them in that error for which they were Christned by that name As for the error of rebaptization it sprong vp before their daies and was but an appendix to the other which the donatists vndertook to currie favour in that coūtrie where it had been taught before by great personages Now then to the purpose If the Protestants do teach the true church to haue perished all the world ouer for many hundreth yeres saving that it remayned among men of their religion in certaine darke and vnknowne corners who can deny them to bee as true Donatists as ever were any which M. Abbot perceiuing to bee as plaine as Dunstable high way maketh as though the protestants never taught the true visible church to haue faild at any time but to haue alwaies euen from Gregorie the great his time downe to our daies continued visibly in all these parts of the world though blemished with some corruptions yea that the church of Rome it self was a part therof as also the ancient church of England doth not this seeme strange was it not their common doctrine that from Pope Boniface his time that is for these nine hundreth yeres at least there was a generall Apostacy from the true church and that Antichrist with his band possessed the outward visible church Gods true church lying hid all that while invisible vntill frier Luther cast of his frock coupled himself with a Nunne and began to set abroach the true light of the new Gospell If M. Abbot will not acknowledg it let him and the reader that doubts of it but turne to those Authors of our owne country To omitt others M. Parkins in his reformed Catholike page 331. M. Fulke in his answere to the counterfeit Catholike and against Stapleton and M. Martiall page 377. M. whitakers de ecclesia contra Bellarminum page 144. M. Napper vpon the reuelations page 143. 126. who with the greater parte of Protestants do openly crie out that from Pope Boniface his raigne the visible church of God Perished from the face of the earth the pope of Rome and his adherents whom they make Antichrist and his ministers having deuowred and ruined the Gospell and in steed of it brought in Idolatry According vnto this opinion of those learned and famous pillars of the new Gospell which was in times past commonly taught among them The Protestants are Donatists and worse then Donatists for first they agreed with the Donatists in the essentiall point of their heresie that the true church of Christ was perished And in this they went farr beyond them for the Donatists did not affirme the church to bee perished in all places they thēselues having for a hundreth yeares and more some face of a church in many cities of Africa and aboue 300 Bishops of their sect But the protestants ancient churches were at the first so soare beaten vtterly blasted that they cānot so much as name one prouince where their religion had any bishops or florished for any one age of the nine hūdreth yeeres of that supposed defection wherfore M. Abbot to avoide the open profession of that damnable Donatisme is faine to fall into a newe phantasie that forsooth the Roman church notwithstanding all her grosse errors and fowle faults in their imagination is a true member of Christs Catholike church because she held alwaies the foundation entire though she built hay straw and stubble theron well fare your hart gentle sir wee are much beholding vnto you for the good opinion you haue of our church and religion but how comes it then to passe that our church her self being so hart-whole and tollerable the members therof bee by you esteemed so blasphemous horrible why are the lawfull pastors therof only for being consecrated priests and for coming into England to execute the anciēt and accustomed rites of priesthod made hainous traitors why are honest and otherwise harmles men for receiuing of priests and serving God after the old accustomed manner most grieuously punished by losse of all their goods lands libertie and life how vnreasonable and conscienceles men bee you Ministers to cry out for so severe lawes and most bitter execution therof against recusants for that religion which you your selues hold to bee Catholike If there were any good nature left in you or sparke of any kindnes you should rather intreat pardon for men of our religion of whom you now chalenge yourselues to bee lineally descended and in right of which descent you enioy many high Ecclesiasticall dignities and rich benefices This in courtesy you ought rather to do then for humane tollerable faults to incense the prince and state against vs. Tollerable I say in the course of mans law if Almightie God will beare with them And if they do not exclude a Christian man out of Gods Catholike church as they do not in the way of your opiniō why should earthly potentats depriue them of the commō benefits of their dominions and not rather after the example of the soveraigne Lord of heaven and earth suffer them to liue quietly in their kingdome and to enioy their owne livings which bee rightfully descended vnto them from their predecessors men also of the same religion I cannot see how M. Abbot all they that imbrace the same opinion can in equity require any recusant to bee so highly punished for that religion which they hold to bee good in all substantiall and fundamentall points therof though they thinke it in other of smaller moment to neede reformatiō well though that their opinion bee more fauorable and indulgent to vs yet in my poore iudgment it is farre of from being true And to my slender conceite it doth seeme as it were prodigious how they can take that church to bee a true member of the right church whose head they hold to bee Antichrist whose sacrifice and common service Idolatrie whose Sacraments sacrilegious superstitions the greater part of their doctrine blasphemies their pastors beasts foxes and swine as M. Abbot here out of his litle ciuility tearmeth them Briefly
one of them held with him in that error saith M. Abbot yet hee seeing S. Austin to speake of them as of many more then one presumeth out of his owne audacity to expound S. Austin contrary to his owne expresse words what maruell then if the good fellow bee bold with mee But if those words bee not full enough If any of them haue said c. yet they haue not denied c. what cā M. Abbot say vnto these plaine words of the said most sound doctor Very manie of the Donatists do confesse the same of the sonne of God which wee do Aug. de verb. Apost ser 31. c. 5. Donatistae plurimi hoc confitentur de filio quod nos quod aequalis sit patri filius eiusdemque substantiae alij vero eorū eiusdē quidē substātiae confitentur sed aequalē negant to wit that hee is not only of the same substāce with the father but also equall vnto him Alij vero eorum c. note these words but others of them do graunt that hee is of the same substance but not equall to the father Now let the indifferent reader iudge whether of vs two bee the liar I that reported Saint Austin to saie that some of the Donatists held an vnsound opinion of the sacred Trinity or M. Abbot that saith it was but one of them only when as Saint Austin teacheth most plainly that not one only but diuers of them so taught And thus briefly I haue cleerly wiped away the imputation of belying both Sainct Austin and the Donatists leaving the shame of that slaunder to the rash censure and little iudgment of M. Abbot Touching the third bicause hee referreth the reader to another place I will also let it alone till wee come thither where hee shall see that I haue no more misreported their rabbins then I did here the Donatists yea that I dealt with them verie reservedly sparingly when I might haue charged them much deeper because many of their followers haue not onlie obserued what evill seeds they sowed against the sound doctrine of the most glorious Trinity but haue also watred and nourished them till they bee now growne vp vnto the most ranke and stinking weeds of the Arrian and Trinitarian heresie R. AB THE fourth branch wherin the protestants resemble the Donatists is as M. Bishop rehearseth that among the Donatists were certaine furious and frantike fellowes that set churches on fire cast the blessed Sacrament of Christs body to brute beasts threw downe Altars broke Chalices defiled holy oiles made havocke and sale of the rich ornaments of the church In all which points the protestants haue not been one inch behind them but rather in those irreligious and furious actions haue out stripped them and gone farr beyond them This I let passe as an other part of his idle babling only telling him that to fit the example of the Circumcellions hee should looke vnto the acts of the leaguers and Iesuists in France Germany Poland and other countries wherof histories might bee made if it were to the purpose W. B. THis fourthe resemblance hitting the protestants so right on the head makes M. Abbot so to stagger that hee hath not one wise word to answere in their defence Is it idle good S. or of small regard that the protestants do resemble the wicked Donatists in their irreligious and malicious carriage towards the consecrated houses of God yea towards his blessed body in the Sacrament of the altar towards holy oyles vestments and all ornaments of the church Doth it not argue verie apparantly that there lieth lurking in them a verie prophane and spitefull spirit that cannot abide the maiestie of Gods seruice but abhorreth all things thervnto belōging Herevnto may bee added that like as the Donatists did plucke of the veyles of virgins wherby they professed themselues to bee the spouses of Christ and to haue renounced all secular marriages and vaine worldly conuersation Even so did and do the protestants where any such professed virgins do fall into their hands robbing Christ of his spouses that professe chastity fasting praier and all holines of life and turning them out into the wild and wicked world there to liue at large like other worldlings for this loe is a speciall priuiledg of Luthers sweete Gospell Now for that hee fableth of leaguers and Iesuists in France and other countries hee speaking without booke must giue mee leaue to beleeve mine owne eies rather then his slaunders For I haue to my grief often seene the ruines of many goodly faire churches and religious houses blowne vp or beatē downe by men of their religion and haue read of extreme outrage offered by them to preists other religious people To omitt their robbing of churches pulling downe of religious houses deflouring of virgins with other their outragious and irreligious behauiour in France only to say nothing of our owne country and others wherof a large and lamentable historie might bee compiled R. AB THE last point of resemblance M. Bishop maketh to consist in this That like as the Donatists deuised a new kind of psalmes to stir vp their drunken and drowsie spirits to their seruice and sermons So the protestants haue framed a new kind of Geneua psalmes to bee song before their preachings A new kind of psalmes say you M. Bishop do not you know that they bee the psalmes of Dauid and of other prophets and holy men And do they seeme new bicause they are translated into English meeter and fitted with plaine and easy tunes to serue for the peoples vse Or is it not laudable to vse songs and psalmes in the church That the Donatists vsed such songs in their churches is M. Bishops lie For Saint Austin rather signifieth that they vsed them at their drunken bankets Saint Austin commendeth sober singing of psalmes and so doth Saint Leo. Leo de collec ser 4. But the Papists vse to ioyne filthy songs euen with the canon of their Masse as witnesseth Cornelius Agrippa Cornel. de vanit scientiarū c. 18. Thus you see that M. Bishop very vnfortunatelie entred into retorting of this comparison of the Donatists nothing fitting his turne c. W. B. LET that first bee remembred which all the world can witnes for our religion that wee both highlie esteeme and do daily practise the singing of king Dauids Psalmes therfore M. Abbot spendeth his mouth in wast when hee endeuoreth to recommend vnto vs the laudable vse of sober singing them in our churches which their church hath receiued of ours and hath somewhat to do to mainteyne the same singing against their yonger brethren the puritanes who like of no such Romish rites But how dares M. Abbot to auouch so peremptorily that all their Geneva psalmes bee nothing els but the psalms of Dauid How many peeces and broken sentences haue they deuised of their owne heads to patch the rest togither and to make them vp into broken meeter what will
they saie that all their additions ioyned and sowdered to the rest bee inspired by the holie Ghost Or can that trulie bee called a psalme of Dauid that hath one sentence in it not dictated by the holy Ghost But in their meeters manie such sentences bee added which are not assured to bee of the holie Ghost wherfore they may well marre but cannot make vp any psalmes of Dauid Besids they haue some very hereticall sentences interlarded among the rest As for example this in the inuocation of the holy Ghost before the Sermon Keepe vs from all papistry Finally there bee some whole psalmes made by by Robin woodcocke I trow or some of his fellowes no lesse Dunsticall then hereticall Take for a tast therof the first staffe of the last song in their psalter composed by R. W. which I thought good to record here that the reader may see how elegant and pleasant they bee both for meeter and matter Preserve vs Lord by thy deere word From Turke and Pope defend vs Lord Which both would thrust out of his throne Our Lord Iesus Christ thy deare sonne These must needes bee verie noble verses that haue thrice Lord in them And as for word and Lord Throne and sonne though the words do end in the like syllables yet they agree not in sound If M. Abbot would haue the simple reader beleeve that S. Austin and S. Leo when they speake in the praise of singing of Psalmes did meane Davids psalmes in meeter let him produce but one good Author to testify that they were so turned within 900. yeares of those Doctors deathes and then hardely beleeue him If hee cannot then every man may see what credit is to bee given to his allegations That S. Austins words which I alleaged are to bee vnderstood of Psalmes which the Donatists sung in their churches rather then of songs in their drunken bankets may bee gathered out of the comparison that hee makes betweene them and the psalmes that were sung in the Catholike church And S. Austin might well by a Metaphore vsuall in the holy scripture call the Donatists new mad devises against the ancient custome of grave singing in the quire their drunkennes As for the worshipfull testimony of Cornelius Agrippa of our mingling holie things with prophane it being recorded in a booke of condemned memorie I hold it not worth the answering Sure I am that M. Abbot by producing of such Authors cracketh his owne credit for hee promised in his Epistle to the reader that hee would only vse the testimonie either of some learned Bishops of Rome or of some other famously approued author and commended in that church And this booke of Agrippa de vanitate scientiarum is by name condemned by the same church in the Cataloge of forbidden books wherfore M. Abbot is no man of his word Finally like to a tatling tennis plaier that comes well beaten out of the tennis court yet to comfort himself and to saue his poore credit with his friends brags that those mates with whom he plaid were no matches for him yea that no man that daie was able to stand in his hands Even so M. Abbot having behaued himself as simply as a man of either wit or learning could doe either for defending of his owne or for offendīg his aduerse party yet cōcludeth as though hee had gotten the field and cleane foiled his adversary saying that I did vnfortunatly enter into retorting of that comparison nothing serving my turne but that hee like a nimble tēnis player had returned my owne bals vpon mee that with very great advantage well bragge is a Iolly dog and leesers must sometimes bee suffred to haue their words Let the iudicious and indifferent reader but weigh well first what kind of resemblance M. Abbot endevored to make betweene the Donatists and the Papists to wit to chalenge to themselues to bee the Catholike church To bee or rather to desire to bee dilated all the world over that out of their church there was no salvation To spred ill rumors of their adversaries To discourage men from ioyning with them with a Ragmans roll of such rotten riff raffe common to all sects and to none more vsuall then to the protestantes themselues So triviall I say that any man of ordinarie discretiō would haue been ashamed to haue put them downe in print to the view of the world Afterward on the other side let him but call to mind what resemblances I haue proposed betweene the Protestants and the Donatists and weigh how substantiall they bee in themselues and how properly they fitt the protestants The first was that the spirit and soule of Donatisme cōsisted in affirming the church of Christ not to appeare in any other part of the world visibly but to haue cleā perished saving in some few places where men of their religion liued Of the same mind were the chief protestants for many yeares Secondly the Donatists were the first among Christians that appealed from the iudgment of Bishops vnto temporall Princes though they afterwards repented themselues thereof when they saw that the said princes would not helpe them Is not this one of the chiefe heads of the protestants Gospell yea doth not the whole frame of their new religion hang vpon the supreme ecclesiasticall authority of kings Thirdly they beate downe Altars abused the blessed Sacramēt of Christs body defiled holy oiles confiscated sacred chalices and sold them togither with the vestments and other holie ornaments of the church All which are so proper to the Protestants that they blush not daily to practise it and make open profession of the same 4. The protestāts like vnto the Donatists by putting innocēt priests to death make martirs whom we may worship Finally they pulled of the veiles of religious women which were signes of their professed virginity exposing them to the hazard of the wild world In which vngodlie and irreligious practise the protestāts haue gone farre beyond the Donatists But that they maie not take too great pride therin let them heare the vpright censure of the holy prelate Optatus passed 1200. yeares agone against them in the name of their deere brethren the Donatists In this kind you haue done as great damage to god Optat. l. 6. co Parm. In hoc genere tanta damna fecistis Deo quanta lucra diabolo procurastu Conflastis impie calices crudeliter fregistis inconsulte rasistis altaria Nudastis denuo capita iam velata de quibus professionis detraxistis indicia qua contra raptores aut petitores videntur inuenta Spiritale hoc nubendi genus est in nuptias Sponsi iam venerant voluntate professione sua vt secularibus nuptiijs se renuntiasse monstrarent spiritali sponso soluerant crinem iam caelestes celebrauerant nuptias as you haue procured gaine to the devill you haue impiously melted Chalices you haue barbarously broken downe Altars c. and a litle before you haue vncouered the
heads of virgins that were veiled drawing from them the markes of their profession which were inuented to declare that in will and professiō they were maried to Christ By these few resemblances hitting the protestants so right on the thumbes to omitt many other the indifferent reader may see whether my retorting of M. Abbots comparisons were to the purpose or no and whether of vs haue more fortunatly travailed therin §. 6. W. B. TO conclude this passage seing M. Abbot went about to prove the church of Rome to bee like that of the Donatists by no one sound argument but by diuers trifles and vntruthes hee must looke vnles hee repent to haue his part with liars in the poole burning with fire and brimstone And if it please the reader to heare at what great square the Donatists were with the said church of Rome to which M. Abbot would so fayne resemble them I will briefly shew it out of the best records of that time L. 2 co lit Petil. c. 51. S. Austin speakes thus to the Donatist Petilian what hath the church or sea of Rome in which Peter sate and now sitteth Anastasius done vnto thee why doest thou call the Apostolicall chaire the chaire of pestilence See how friendly the Donatists were wont to salute the church of Rome stiling it the chaire of pestilence That noble prelate Optate to this Issue hath thus deposed whence is it that you Donatists take vpon you to vsurpe the keies of the kingdome and that presumptuously and with sacrilegious audacity you do wage battell against the chaire of Peter If the Donatists did wage warre against the church of Rome surely there was no likelihood of any good intelligence betweene them wherfore like as the Catholiks of Africa then so they were linked in communion with the church of Rome sett light by the outcries of the Donatists against them as witnesseth S. Austin when hee said of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage Epist 162 one of the princes of the Catholike party hee needed not to care for the multitude of his conspiring enemies the Donatists when hee saw himself by communicatorie letters ioyned with the Romane church in which alwaies florished the primacie of the Apostolicall chaire c. Even so wee at this time need as litle to esteeme of the bitter reproches and deceitfull arguments of the protestants So wee stand vpright and firme in the like society of faith and religion with the same church of Rome R. AB MIstake I did in some circumstance but lie I did not because to lie is to go against a mans owne mind and knowledge That the Donatists were at square with the ancient church of Rome wee confesse But what is that to the latter church of Rome which is degenerated from the old and in tying the Catholike church to her owne place and function doth rather resemble the old Donatists besids the Donatists were at as great square with all other Catholike churches some of which were also mentioned by saint Augustin in that and other places why then doth M. Bishop make that peculiar vnto the church of Rome which S. Austin leaueth indifferent to that and other churches and as other churches afterward became chaires of pestilence so might the church of Rome for ought that S. Austin there saith of it The like is to bee answered vnto Optatus who teaching the Donatists to haue been whole enemies vnto the church of Rome doth not hinder but that the latter church of Rome might agree well enough with them Finally S. Austin doth not say that Cecilianus ioyned with the church of Rome alone but ioyning with that and other Catholike churches needed not to care for the Donatists So that there is no more there for the cōmuniō of the church of Rome thē for the cōmuniō of other churches Hee will say that a principality is there attributed vnto the church of Rome I answere as before I haue done that a principality of honour may bee givē to it but not a principality of power And doth it follow that because the principality of the Apostolike chaire florished there till that time therfore it should do so ever vnto the worlds end These are loose and vaine collections vnfit to stablish the conscience of sober and advised men W. B. FOr a conclusion of this chapter M. Abbot tells vs that albeit hee mistooke somethings yet hee did not lie in any part therof and the proofe in part is very prettie because for sooth hee went not against his owne mind His mind and pleasure then being to say that the Donatists taught the true church to bee only at Cartenna Secondly That the Papists do teach now that the same true church is conteyned within the wals of Rome only 3. That no other mans Baptisme besids a papist priests is avaylable to Salvation 4. That none among the Indians bee truly converted to the Christian faith but all of them are forced to receiue baptisme with out religion when hee I say wrote these and twentie mo such like most luculent lies yet in all this hee did not once lie the reason is in readines bicause hee never went against his owne mind His mind then giving him belike that to vilify and slaunder the Papists he might tell a hundreth worse tales of them then those are Good Sir if vpon Etymologies of words you presume to deliuer such senseles and wicked doctrine it may trulie bee said to you for ought I see Domine mentiris whether you teach it against your owne mind or no. For although a man that of meere ignorance telleth an vntruth doth not properly lie yet when hee presumeth to shoote his bolt to giue his censure rashly of things commonly spoken of contrary to the truth as M. Abbot hath done then hee may bee said to lie though hee know not perfectly the contrarie Because hee might and ought to haue learned out the truth therof before hee presumed to deliuer his Iudgment theron in such absolute and peremptorie tearmes As the Donatists were at open warre with the old church of Rome So doth the moderne church of Rome as greatly as the old detest the same positions of the Donatists To wit that the church of Christ is perished all the world ouer saving in some odd corners 2. That men baptised by vnsanctified Ministers ought to bee rebaptised And so of all the rest which either Optatus or S. Austin then recorded for speciall points of the Donatists doctrine That the now church of Rome doth differ in any one article of faith from the ancient is that which M. Abbot doth often say and repeate but never yet could nor here after shall ever bee able to bring any one sufficient proofe therof wherfore by all right and reason the said church is to retaine her former good reputatiō and credit with all honest and vpright consciences For if everie man haue title vnto his good name vntill hee bee conuicted to haue committed some such